‘Open Taxi Access’ System
Would Allow Passengers to
Flag Cabs Electronically

Flagging a taxi remotely through technology that directly links smart phone users to nearby cabs is already a reality in San Francisco and elsewhere. But the concept will advance another step if the MTA approves Open Taxi Access (OTA), a system under development by UpStart Mobile, the company that runs the Cabulous system currently in use in many San Francisco cabs.

OTA is an online service that would be made available to all cab companies and cab drivers in San Francisco. Passengers could flag a cab using a smart phone, computer or other internet device. Devices could be placed at hospitals, small hotels, public facilities and other convenient locations.

The system allows prospective passengers to view available cabs on a map and choose the vehicle they want to pick them up. The driver can accept or reject the call.

The MTA may open the idea to competitive bidding,but UpStart Mobile appears to have a head start in developing such a system. For the first two years, the MTA would pay the costs, estimated at $400,000 (about $133 per taxi per year). There are no current estimates on long-range costs, or who would bear them.

Cab company participation would be voluntary. Companies that choose to participate could integrate the technology into their current dispatch equipment, which would allow the driver to view pickup information on the cab’s computer screen. If a company chose not to participate, its drivers could still use the system through a smart phone, unless their company opted out entirely.

The Cabulous system is currently in use in cabs in the Citywide Dispatch system, including Royal, Big Dog, Metro and Green Cab. Drivers from other companies can subscribe to the system on their own behalf.

Luxor Cab uses an electronic flagging system called Taxi Magic. In contrast to Cabulous, requests are routed through the company’s dispatch system.