When you first call Streamline Taxis 747474 - 202020 your telephone number appears on the telephonist computer screen (unless you have withheld your number). The telephonist takes your address details and types it into the computer Data- job is then automatically dispatched to the nearest taxi via the taxi Data-Unit.

The next time you call is when the technology takes place because the computer system recognises your telephone number and your address details automatically appears on the telephonist screen

The advantage of this system is that we can guarantee that we always have your exact address details such as  "Third bell up on the right". Of course you must first give us such details so that it is recorded in the computer....then there is no need to keep repeating this information.

Another leap forward is what we call "Call Back". This is the facility to alert you that the taxi is outside your address by the driver pressing "C" on the Data-Unit. This sends a signal to the office telephone computer which then rings your fixed telephone twice. If you are calling on a mobile phone you will receive a text message as shown on the mobile phone illustration above.

This is the notification to you that your taxi awaits you outside. This "Call Back" system is a great help to the driver when it is difficult to park the taxi. You will be informed of "Call Back" as and when it is offered to you.

March 2006 was the next stage of the upgrade is the installation of the new CT4000 data-unit and  Streamline Taxis 202020   were  the first fleet in the UK to fully upgrade from the CT3000 and was as a major step forward for driver integration . The CT4 provides new facilities for drivers allowing a friendlier environment which includes the "greatly appreciated"   Out-of Car  feature. When the driver is absent from the taxi the Out-of-Car touch screen button is activated and allows the driver to be away from the taxi for up to 30 minutes. If a job arrives at the CT4 the drivers' mobile phone rings a couple of times to alert that a job is waiting to be accepted. The driver then has one minute to get back to the taxi to accept the job. , Read more about the Auriga CT4 Here

* This enables the computer to match the best positioned taxi for the job and then automatically sends the job information to the drivers Data-Unit in the taxi. The driver is also able to interrogate the Data-Unit for various information such as the position in queue in the area he or she is in ( the City is divided into forty sub-areas) and is able to search other areas of the City to see how many taxis are in that area and if there are jobs waiting to be dispatched. General messages are also sent out.

In 2001 we then advanced further and updated to the CT3000  data-unit (as shown on the left) that  gave us GPS (Global Positioning System). This means that the satellites are constantly tracking all the taxis and pinpointing the exact position as they move around the city (to within forty feet). * 

There was indeed concern that this new technology may not suit the cab-driver who, in general terms, likes to be master of his own destiny. That is: taking away the drivers choice of which area he prefers to work in. Probably on all taxi circuits there are drivers who may like to plot into an zone a mile away so that they are first in turn when they arrive in that specific area..... after travelling through several other zones, but not actually plotting onto those zones.

There are also those drivers who may like to sit on a busy rank, yet also be plotted onto a zone somewhere completely elsewhere. This of course delays the time it takes to get a taxi to the customers door when there could be other taxis available in that area.

So, GPS has to be a mind-set & drivers had to understand that to improve the service to the customer it was no good having drivers manually plotting  into whatever zones they wanted.
 
Having now had GPS for a number of years, with the Driver Preference facility on the Evo System (this is a user configurable allows drivers to choose how far they want to accept work i.e. Primary Zone only - Primary+ three zones - Five Zones  or All Zones) there is no way that our drivers would ever want to go back to manual plotting!

Technology: In the early 90's we moved from taking jobs with pen and paper to inputting them into a computerised system known as Sirius supplied by Auriga. All our vehicles had a basic data-unit called the CT2000 that allowed manual plotting into the various zoned areas in the city.

In February  2006, as part of our ongoing commitment to the technology available we have upgraded to the EvoCab system as supplied by Auriga. To read more about EvoCab please click Here.