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[Marghanita da Cruz]

Howard Lowndes wrote:
> 
> Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
>> Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
>>> Howard Lowndes wrote:
>>>> Richard Chirgwin wrote:
>>>>> Howard Lowndes wrote:
>> <snip>
>>>>> What are you making the maps in?
>>>> It's not so much map making as wanting to identify routes between 
>>>> places - ala a SATNAV displaying the the best route between two 
>>>> points so as to work out the shortest out of a set of routes - is 
>>>> point B closer to point A than point C is closer to point A, or is 
>>>> point D even closer to point A.   I want it as part of a taxi 
>>>> booking, dispatch and management system idea that I am playing with - 
>>>> trying to drag the taxi industry into the 21 century at reasonable cost.
>>>>
>>> So, are you suggesting that Taxi fares should be charged point to 
>>> point rather than on the basis of distance and time?
>>>
>> Perhaps of Relevance.
>>> Silver Top Taxi Service operates a radio network in Melbourne for the 
>>> purpose of handling taxi bookings and associating them with available 
>>> taxis. Silver Top was concerned with the level of calls not getting 
>>> through to operators, or receiving 'busy tone', particularly in peak 
>>> demand periods Ð even when taxi cabs were vacant and available to take 
>>> fares in many areas
>> <http://www.dbcde.gov.au/communications_and_technology/publications_and_reports/2003/03/ovum_report/case14> 
> 
> The comments I get from passengers about Melbourne taxis would make a 
> bullocky cringe:
> 
> Dirty taxis
> Won't accept small fares
> Unlicenced, unregistered drivers
> No clue where they are
> ...
> 

In Sydney, they tried to fix the "won't accept small fares" by not telling the 
drivers the destination. This resulted in a lot of grumbling by drivers to 
passengers. And I would guess the odd refusal to take a passenger to their 
destination, when they discovered what it was.

As to having no clue where they are - is this possible, with the ubiquity of 
dashboard GPS/Navigation systems?

And there is one other grumble, I have, and that is the hefty toll on taxis, 
which is passed onto passengers, at Sydney Airport!

This seems to be old news...
> 
> Kennett's cabs offer
> Article from: Sunday Herald Sun
> Kate Adamson
> > August 19, 2007 12:00am
> FORMER Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has asked the Victorian Government for the authority to clean up Melbourne's cab crisis.
<http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22266906-2862,00.html>

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202