13CABS' TaxiTracker: A Quantum Leap for Passenger Safety

July 28, 2010 - PRLog -- In what many are hailing as a quantum leap forward for passenger safety 13CABS' iPhone App features TaxiTracker. Users are encouraged to take a photo of the cab number on or inside the vehicle before their trip begins. They then send the image along with optional comments to 13CABS' secure server at the touch of a button. Together with the photo, a time stamp and the GPS coordinates of where the image was taken are also sent to 13CABS, known as geotagging.

Prior to the introduction of TaxiTracker no formal process existed to record trips where passengers hailed a cab at a rank or off the street. This was a fact which impacted upon community confidence in the cab industry and undermined the wider public transport system.

13CABS suggests the revolutionary pre-emptive security measure can be used to snap a photo of any of Melbourne's cabs, not just its own 1,900 plus strong fleet, empowering all passengers whilst also encouraging Drivers to be on their best behaviour.

The company also says the TaxiTracker concept will alleviate some of the community's safety concerns about using cabs, and propose that the idea could be used by all of Melbourne's mobile phone users with built in cameras when hailing cabs as a way of minimising potential safety risks. If a passenger leaves their phone in a cab, or anything else for that matter, 13CABS and the passenger can identify which cab the lost property is in based on the TaxiTracker image.

"Where possible, passengers should book their cab rather than hail one so the trip is recorded, but 13CABS understands that's not always practical. That's why we developed TaxiTracker so that passengers have a record regardless of how they book or which company they choose," said 13CABS Chief Operating Officer Andrew Skelton.

"13CABS has a mission to deliver superior customer service but above all a duty to act in the interests of safety for every passenger and driver," Skelton added.

TaxiTracker is available as part of 13CABS' free iPhone App available for download from the App Store now. For further information about 13CABS' free App featuring TaxiTracker contact 13CABS Client Services Manager Simon Purssey on 9277 3427, email simon.purssey@13cabs.com.au or visit www.13CABS.com.au

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13CABS is a full service taxi cab company with over 1,800 vehicles servicing clients across Melbourne. For further information please contact us at +613 9277 3700.