Taxi Dispatch System Based on Current Demands and Real-Time Traffic Conditions

The existing taxi dispatch system that taxi operators in Singapore use to handle current bookings was studied. This dispatch system adopts the Global Positioning System and is based on the nearest-coordinate method: the taxi assigned for each booking is the one with the shortest, direct, straight-line distance to the customer location. However, the taxi assigned under this system often is not capable of reaching the customer in the shortest time possible. An alternative dispatch system is proposed, whereby the dispatch of taxis is determined by real-time traffic conditions. In the proposed system, the taxi assigned the booking job is the one with the shortest time path, reaching the customer in the shortest time. This dispatch ensures that customers are served within the shortest period of time and increases customer satisfaction. The effectiveness of both the existing and the proposed dispatch systems is investigated through computer simulations. The results from a simulation model of the Singapore central business district network are presented and analyzed. Data from the simulations show that the proposed dispatch system is capable of being more efficient in dispatching taxis more quickly and leads to more than 50% reductions in passenger pickup times and average travel distances. A more efficient dispatch system would result in higher standards of customer service and a more organized taxi fleet to meet customer demands better.