News

Malaysians riding high in '`smart' taxicabs

February 26, 2004

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- The Smart Taxipreneur project here aims to create a new breed of IT-savvy taxi drivers using onboard kiosks and a global-positioning satellite service.

Smart Taxipreneur currently involves 100 taxis and the project can sustain up to 500 taxis. The project is championed by the Entrepreneur Development Ministry through a collaboration with the private sector. The project is receiving a research and development grant from the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry, according to an article on Emedia.com.

The pilot project will run for a year, after which investors will take over the project.
Each "smart taxi" has a GPS receiver and Web-based information kiosk linked to a smartcard terminal, according to the article.

The cab drivers have to go through a training program that teaches basic IT skills, effective communication skills, use of equipment and services, and taxi-business management.

The pilot project will operate in the shopping and commercial hubs in Kuala Lumpur, and will have advertising avenues to generate extra income for the drivers. Promotional campaigns, one-to-one video advertising, sponsored channels, point-of-sales and interactive classifieds will all be featured on the information kiosk, which customers can access via a touchscreen panel.