Taxi dispatching via global positioning systems

This paper empirically examines taxi dispatch operations via Global Positioning Systems (GPS) by three taxi companies. The implementation of GPS technology has radically changed the traditional approach to taxi fleet management. In comparison to the radio-paging systems used previously, the satellite-based dispatch systems have considerably enhanced the accuracy, communications, and productivity of taxi operations. However, variables associated with human-system interfaces and operational environments should be taken into account in order to achieve the full capacity of the systems. Furthermore, the reengineering of operations and the training of end-users are vital to the improvement of service quality and the development of sophisticated public transport systems.