Shanghai taxis get satellite guidance system

Fifty Shanghai taxis fitted with a global positioning system (GPS) hit the streets on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The system was installed by the Shanghai Dazhong Taxi Company to provide satellite positioning, radio connections, computerized dispatching, and an electronic map, the company's general manager Yang Guoping told the agency.

The system makes it possible to cut the time passengers spend waiting for a taxi. The drivers will also feel more secure because of built-in safety devices.

The company has established six dispatch centres in urban and suburban areas, and in the first half of the year, 1,000 of the company's taxis will be fitted with the positioning system, Xinhua quoted Yang as saying.

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