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Sharjah to have automated taxi booking system soon

SHARJAH - Commuters in Sharjah will soon be able to book taxis from the comfort of their homes as the Sharjah Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) has given the go-ahead to a fully automated and advanced taxi dispatch and management system.

A Dh30-million contract was signed between the SPTC and ST Electronics, the electronic arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited (ST Engineering). ST Electronics will deliver the system to the SPTC over a period of 15 months from July.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Abdullah Al Zari, Director-General of SPTC, said a dedicated call centre number would be announced after the system is in place. Over 4,000 taxis will be linked to the system while an extra charge of Dh5, for booking a taxi over the phone, will be added to the total fare.

Al Zari said, "With the implementation of the system, passengers will enjoy a better customer service and shorter waiting time. Drivers will benefit from increased despatch efficiency and fleet owners will experience lower vehicle operating costs."

He also said the SPTC would be able to assess and evaluate the services being offered by franchise companies. "If there are any loopholes in the service, we will work towards rectifying them as a regulator," he added.

The automated service of the call centre will create a 'database' of its customers eliminating the need to take details of customers, including name and location, each time they call. Once a customer books a taxi, an estimated time of arrival will be given while the nearest located drivers will be alerted.

Key features include: management of digital map/locations update, integration with other booking channels, automated call-taking and monitoring, computer-aided dispatch, automatic vehicle location, fleet management and reporting.

According to a survey carried out in Singapore by ST Engineering, at least 50 per cent of the passengers who book a taxi over the phone are calling from their homes, offices, favourite shopping malls or the airport. "This makes it easier for such a system to work as drivers can easily be guided to a regular customer," said Seah Moon Ming, president, ST Electronics.