Comfort Taxi is the largest taxi fleet operator in the world, with more than 11,000 taxis. In 1996, Comfort introduced a fully automated, satellite-based booking and dispatching system known as Comfort CabLink, which redefined the state-of-art for the industry. Prior to implementing CabLink, Comfort dispatched about 3,500 jobs per day. Today, CabLink dispatches more than 30,000 jobs per day, an astounding achievement for both Comfort Taxi and ST Mobile Data.
Limited voice channels. Jammed phone lines. Dispatch system not optimised. These are just a handful of problems Comfort encountered in the past. With its partners CET and GMSI (now part of SiGEM), ST Mobile Data squared off these challenges with CabLink, which uses the ST Mobile Data Mobitex Network in its automated taxi location and dispatch system.
The new dispatch system uses a unique feature of Mobitex network to solicit GPS (Global Positioning System) location of taxis nearest to the pickup point. Job orders are then dispatched to these taxis within the zone, and a bidding process allows drivers to enter approximate arrival time. The computer-assisted dispatching (CAD) module will automatically determine the 'winner' of the bid (ie. the taxi nearest to the passenger) and inform both the driver and the customer of the match. As compared to the old analogue radio broadcast system, taxis are not bombarded with inappropriate job orders with pickup points that are too far from their location. With the new system, taxis only receive job orders that are in close proximity, therefore ensuring drivers a continuous flow of jobs with a system that sends jobs to the closest driver as soon as the driver is available. Digital text display eliminates errors in voice communication and ensures that the drivers receive correct addresses from the call centre.
Since the inception of the service, many enhancements have been added to the system. For example, cashless payments using credit cards and NETS are made possible in 2001 to offer customers alternative payment modes. These enhancements helped anchor Comfort as one of the leading mobile data users in Singapore.
For a city of more than 3.5 million inhabitants, that prides itself as a leading-edge telecommunications hub, CabLink allows one to get a taxi easily, and quickly. So successful was it that Comfort expanded the system from the initial 500 taxis to 5,000 taxis by the end of 1996. CabLink's fully automated, mobile data-based booking and dispatching system is an excellent example of how fully leveraging the latest communications technology can bring efficiency and service to a new level. By automating the entire order process, from the time the customer calls from a taxi to the moment of pick-up, Comfort Transportation is able to significantly increase efficiency.
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