Multimedia Taxis

Next September, a fleet of taxis in Barcelona will begin testing a multimedia system which aims to serve both the taxi-driver and the passenger better.
The taxi-drivers are smiling because the satellite-connected system will ensure that the locations of their cabs are constantly being tracked and connected to the local emergency service. A navigational program is also available to guide the driver to a route free of traffic jams. With this system, they can focus on what is perhaps the most important part of their job: delivering the passenger safely and promptly to the destination.
Passengers are smiling too; a taxi ride is no longer a boring affair. With a touch screen connected to the Internet, they can read their online newspapers, listen to music, watch digital films, find information on the city and do so much more. And if the passengers are from abroad and the driver doesn’t understand what they are saying, an online translation program can help to facilitate communication.
These multimedia taxis are part of the Europetaxi project being promoted by Barcelona’s Union of the Catalan Taxi. Although similar projects can be found in cities like New York and Paris, Barcelona’s is by far the most ambitious. Imagine finding such cabs in your home city; a taxi journey will never be the same again!