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myTaxi iPhone App May Transform Taxi Business
myTaxi is an app that bypasses the traditional dispatch centers, allowing passengers to book their own rides.
(myTaxi app threatens taxicab dispatchers everywhere)
The app uses GPS to send the customer's location to the nearest available drivers in the area within seconds. As soon as a driver accepts the job, the customer can monitor the taxi as it approaches on his mobile screen. For every mediated ride, myTaxi charges the allocated driver a set fee of €0.79 ($1.04)...The German Association of Taxis and Hire Cars (BZP) estimates there are around 260 million taxi passengers per year in the country, with total turnover of around €2.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in taxi fares.
Currently, myTaxi operates in 30 German cities and the company claims that 800,000 smartphone users have downloaded the app. Taxi drivers also support the app in Austria and Switzerland. So far, however, only a small percentage of drivers have registered with the service.
All we need to do is hook this app up to Google's self-driving cars, instructing them to come when we call.
(Google autonomous car video - interior view)
Presto! Now you've got Johnny Cab, from Total Recall.
Via Spiegel; thanks as always to Moira for the tip and idea for this story. (* I think my submission form issues have been fixed - thanks!)
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 3/11/2012)
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