TAXI FOCUS
IRISH GOVERNMENT ASKED TO EXTEND MANDATORY MASK RULES TO TAXIS
The mandatory face mask rules must also be extended to taxis, it has been claimed. According to dublinlive, the comments come as face coverings were made compulsory on Dublin Bus, Luas and DART. But the taxi app Free Now has claimed that the regulations needed to be extended to explicitly cover the Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV) sector (taxi PH and Limousine services). Alan Fox, Regional General Manager of Free Now, said: “Taxi drivers and passengers continue to face uncertainty in terms of what is the best approach to safe travel in taxis, with many contacting us to request clarity on the current situation. The new public transport regulations fail to specifically state whether face masks are manda- tory in taxis. We strongly believe they should be in keeping with public health guidelines and we are firmly advising drivers and pas- sengers to wear face masks. He added: “We are seeing a real increase in demand for taxis as we try and cope with the new normal which is encouraging, but the new regulations need to explicitly cater for SPSV also and we are calling on the Government to rectify this as soon as
possible.Taxis will play a vital role in helping better circulation to support economic recov- ery and as a vital transport option for our most vulnerable citizens. We cannot afford any sort of ambiguity around this going forward.”
from Dubai
AI NOW USED TO ASSESS ON-ROAD CONDUCT OF TAXI DRIVERS IN DUBAI
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has now start- ed deploying artificial intelligence (AI) tech- nologies to assess the conduct and driv- ing standards of taxi drivers. Smart cameras have been installed inside all Dubai’s taxis to monitor drivers enabling RTA to iden- tify and alert drivers who breach traffic regulations and subject them to rehabilitation courses for repeated violations. The AI technology will also assist the authority by detailing addi- tional or external circumstances, such as bad road conditions, which may be a factor in any violations. RTA director of transportation systems, Khaled Al-Awadhi, said: “Unlike surveillance cameras fitted to taxis to verify complaints from passengers, this technology is a proactive measure to know the driver’s on-road behaviour on the spot. “Through this technology, we can figure out the performance of the driver on the road in a continuous manner. It helps us to send alerts to drivers or subject them to rehabilitation courses in case of repeated violations such as speeding, sudden stopping or unneces- sary use of brakes.”
AUGUST 2020 from Singapore
SINGAPORE TAXI COMPANY SEES TWO BABIES BORN IN ITS CABS IN A WEEK
Amid the doom and gloom of the global pandemic, it’s nice to be reminded that, in spite of it all, life finds a way. It’s even nicer to be reminded twice. Cab company, ComfortDelGro, recently announced that two babies had been born in its cabs on the way to hospital in just a matter of days. The cab company which operates the majority of the island nation’s cabs, shared the heartwarming stories of the surprised cabbies and expectant mothers who couldn’t quite make it to their destination in time in an Instagram post. Both labours were apparently short and sweet, given that it rarely takes more than 20 minutes to get anywhere in the country. The first birth took place on May 27, though ComfortDelGro only recently disclosed it. The mother welcomed a baby boy in the back- seat of driver Hanafiah Ismail’s car, the cab company said in an Instagram post. A week later fellow cabbie Lim Wee Beng, 63, accepted a booking from a couple bound for a local children’s hos- pital and sure enough, his passenger went into labour as his car drove along the expressway. According to the company: “He quickly advised the parents to call the hospital to prepare for their arrival and to take note of the time of birth,” ComfortDelGro said. “I have never in my eight years of driving experience encountered such a situation in my taxi,” Lim was quoted as saying. “In challeng- ing times such as this pandemic, being able to witness new life is a joyous occasion and I am happy that both mother and child are safe and well. I was glad to be of help.”
101 from Japan
TAXI-SHARING TRIAL TO AVOID TOKYO RUSH-HOUR CRUSH
As Covid-19 cases continue to increase in Japan, one company has begun a trial of taxi-sharing for employees to get to work. The aim is to reduce the risk of infection by avoiding the rush-hour crush on public transport. Major Japanese mobile phone carrier KDDI began the four-week tryout with a taxi company in Tokyo on Monday 13 July. It uses a fleet of ten taxis to shuttle staff to and from the office. Employees use an app to reserve their desired pick-up point and time. Artificial intelligence will come up with the most efficient route to carry multiple passengers. One employee said: “I go to the office two or three times a week. I’m a little worried about getting on a train because of the pandem- ic. It’s very handy to have this kind of service.” KDDI will cover the cost of the trial. The company says the service will help prevent the spread of coro- navirus because it can use passenger data to trace the contacts of anyone who is infected.
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