PEOPLE STILL RUN TAXI FIRMS
YOU CAN’T DISPATCH YOUR WAY OUT OF A BAD SITUATION
Article by Rob Finlayson Operations Manager City Cars Glasgow
rob@citycarsglasgow.co.uk
The taxi and private hire trade has never had more technology available to it than it does today. Dispatch systems are faster, smarter and more automated than ever. Apps promise self-service for customers, real- time updates and minimal, if any, human involvement. Some even suggest that the ideal operation is one where nobody needs to speak to anyone at all.
On paper, it sounds efficient. In practice, it ignores how this industry actually works.
Traditional operators understand something that software-only companies don’t quite grasp. Taxi operations are messy, unpredictable and deeply flawed, of if you prefer, human. No system, no matter how advanced or how much AI is layered on top, can fully account for real-world, live demand, driver behaviour, traffic conditions, weather and last-minute changes. When things go wrong, code doesn’t take responsibility. People do.
Anyone who has worked as a controller knows the moment. The phone lines light up. A vehicle breaks down. A driver doesn’t turn up. Demand spikes off the chart. The system is still running, but the plan of attack has already failed. At that point, automation stops being the solution and communication becomes the job.
Software-only dispatch models are excellent while everything is going to plan. Bookings flow through the platform, drivers accept jobs and customers follow the in-app notifications without question. Nobody needs reassurance. Nobody needs an explanation. The cracks appear the moment something deviates from the expected plan.
That’s when customers need answers, not notific- ations. Drivers want context, not system messages. Operators need experience and judgement, not algorithms.
Traditional operators don’t pretend problems don’t exist; they manage them. That management starts
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with communication. Setting expectations early. Explaining delays honestly. Owning decisions and mistakes rather than blaming the system. A late- running job explained before it goes late is an inconvenience. A late pickup discovered after the fact is a complaint waiting to happen.
Drivers, in particular, feel the difference in algorithm- led environments. Too often they are treated as just another system input, availability on or off, job accepted or rejected. When conditions change, they are expected to adapt without explanation. Over time, that erodes trust. Drivers disengage not because the work isn’t there, but because they feel like passengers while someone else takes the wheel.
Traditional operators know drivers aren’t just a commodity; they are partners in delivering the service. When demand is heavy, priorities shift or difficult calls have to be made, talking to drivers matters. Explaining why something is happening builds cooperation and trust. Ignoring them builds resistance and apathy.
Technology should support that working relationship, not replace it. Dispatch systems should reduce workload, not remove accountability. Automated updates are useful, but they are not a substitute for picking up the phone when things go wrong. The best operations blend systems with experienced people, automation to lighten the load and grizzled controllers for when judgement is required.
Reputations in this industry are not built on slick interfaces or the latest feature release. They are built in difficult moments, when expectations aren’t met and someone has to step in, explain and put things right. Customers remember whether they were informed. Drivers remember whether they were respected.
You can’t dispatch your way around bad com- munication. You can’t automate trust. You can’t build a resilient business by pretending people are the problem.
The companies and operators who will last in this industry won’t be the ones chasing full automation at any cost. They will be the ones who understand that technology is a tool, not a replacement, and that when things go wrong, proper, human interaction still wins the day.
JANUARY 2026 PHTM
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