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Enhancing Taxi and Ridesharing Services with Interactive Touchscreens

Enhancing Taxi and Ridesharing Services with Interactive Touchscreens

“E-hailing” technology has completely transformed the transportation sector, and now companies such as Uber and Lyft rule the streets. Today, ridesharing is a billion-dollar industry. As a response, some taxicab operators have upped their game as well, creating ride-hailing apps of their own that integrate digital touchscreen technology to enhance the taxi experience. 

For taxi drivers, an interactive touchscreen has many benefits. In tandem with GPS, it can provide information to plan the most efficient trip by showing maps, traffic, ETA and the fastest navigation routes. An additional benefit of the touchscreen is that it can more accurately prepare drivers for the ride ahead. A taxi dispatch system can relay the number of passengers expected at pick-up, and the destination address to the vehicle’s digital display to provide a more efficient service.

Backseat digital screens are great for passenger engagement, making trips more pleasurable. These screens serve as an excellent channel for entertainment and targeted advertising, and are practical for informing passengers of local activities, restaurants, hotels and attractions. They also act as payment portals, allowing passengers to swipe their credit card or digital wallet to pay for their ride.

It’s no surprise that taxis get a substantial amount of wear and tear just due to the sheer number of customers in their backseat every day. It’s crucial that displays installed in taxis are sturdy, reliable, and able to handle the wear and tear that the backseat endures. With the increased popularity of ridesharing, it will be fascinating to see if automobile manufacturers design more vehicles that are specifically meant to handle the rigorous use of ridesharing and leave space for installing digital screens for those drivers and passengers.

As touchscreens become more popular in taxis and ridesharing vehicles, the future of what they can be used for is exciting and expansive. Our prediction is that digital touchscreens will add potential revenue for Uber, Lyft, and hopefully the drivers through highly targeted advertisements. Advertisements on the touchscreens could present personalized coupon or discount codes. The codes would be personalized per driver so that, if used, the driver would receive a payment based on purchases made in his/her vehicle. Another possibility would be drivers charging companies to advertise on the screens in their cars. There are so many advertising opportunities when a touchscreen display is present and with new technology the ads will continue to get more and more targeted over time. Data shows that advertisements shown on displays that are not relevant to the passenger can negatively affect their trip. However, targeted ads can be highly effective by using data gathered about passengers through their previous search history and touchscreen interactions. This personalization can be maximized when synched with data from the phone used to request a ride. We predict this will only be intensified as the touchscreen in-vehicle data is synched more closely to each individual’s smart phone, allowing cloud syncing of data and search history.

As an industry leading developer of small touch monitors and displays, we partner with world-renowned companies like Verifone to provide touchscreen technology to taxicabs to enhance both the passenger and driver experience. Our sleek touchscreen solutions offer riders the ability to use Wi-Fi, charge devices through a USB port, and serve as an all-in-one meter, dispatch, and navigation terminal for drivers. We’ve constructed the displays for durability, incorporating vibration tolerant connectors, sealed electronics, and impact resistant touch panels that can withstand the rigors of the taxicab environment. Learn more about the Mimo Magic Monster monitors found in taxicabs across the country.

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