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Cities around the world are considering GPS tracking as one way to regulate their local taxi services. The C40 cities climate leadership group, a committee dedicated to reducing global carbon emissions from 40 of the world’s largest cities, is targeting taxis as a major cause of global emissions. Various cities have imposed different regulations and are trying different ideas to cut the emissions from taxis. These have included taxi sharing in New York, bells that chime when a taxi goes too fast in Singapore, and other initiatives. Istanbul, however, may have the best idea so far.

GPS fleet tracking is designed to keep track of a large group of vehicles for a variety of purposes. Each vehicle in the fleet is equipped with a small tracking device that links it to a system of vehicles. Satellites read signals from the devices and communicate the location of each one to a computer. The fleet owner can see the location of a vehicle, the speed at which it is traveling, its estimated arrival time, and nearly anything else relevant to managing vehicles and drivers. Devices can be set up to relay such information as whether headlights are being used or what the current weather is at the vehicle’s location, and cars can even be disabled through one of these devices.

Istanbul, Turkey, is using a fleet tracking system to regulate the taxis that run through the city. When a customer calls for a taxi, GPS locates the nearest cab and relays the call. This system improves efficiency, so drivers do not need to waste time and fuel trying to locate customers. They can get right to the correct spot and pick up a customer without driving farther than necessary.

A system like this could also be used in other ways to make improvements, not just by governments but for any private cab company. Customers could be alerted through the system if a cab is running late and its estimated arrival time has changed significantly. Drivers could be kept accountable to adhere to safe driving practices. If a cab has mechanical trouble, the nearest cab could be located to pick up the customer instead. Any taxi company that wants to save money, retain customers, and take care of the environment can implement fleet tracking and discover multiple benefits.

Article Written by Greg Bartlett