High-Tech Hardware on New York City Taxi Cabs

From now on, riding in a cab in NYC will be a pleasure for most clients, with the introduction of the touch-screen monitors. Officials from the taxi companies say that an average taxi ride in NY takes 13 minutes, so why not make the most of it?

High-tech enters the taxis and it will make it easier for passengers, especially tourists and newcomers, to get around the Big Apple.

The installed applications will allow the passengers to pay by credit card, no need to worry about change and tip anymore! They will also let them view news stories and an electronic map of their cab's progress.

Paying with credit cards is expected to become popular with customers in what is for now a mostly cash, $1.8 billion-a-year business. It could mean bigger tips and more fares from riders short on cash.

Or they could find instant information about the area they're going through, like shops, cinemas, restaurants, along with ads regarding the businesses in the area.

The GPS tracking will make the required record-keeping an automated process and give drivers crucial information about traffic or lost items. It would also be easier for a customer who lost a wallet, for example, in the taxi commission to receive information from drivers in the neighborhood where the customer was dropped off.

"This project is nothing short of revolutionary and evolutionary for the taxi industry," Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Matthew W. Daus wrote in a recent agency newsletter.

There are, of course, some objections to the new technology, regarding the costs of the hardware, credit-card fees and potential working time lost if the systems need repair.

Some customers are even worried that the GPS will be used to track their movements through the city when paying with the credit card.