[Nyabs] taxi technology

[Justin Young]

This sounds very great!  Thanks so much Kate for sharing!

On 5/15/12, Kathryn <nyabs.board at gmail.com> wrote:
> *Hi everyone,
>
> Just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of the technology enhancement
> to NYC taxis we can expect itn eh future.
>
> Kate, President
>
> News clip embedded below.
> *
> CARLY BALDWIN
> *NEW YORK *
> *Published: *April 17, 2012 2:17 p.m.
> Creative Mobile Technologies, one of two companies that outfits the
> city's yellow cabs with credit card readers, unveiled groundbreaking new
> technology today that will make it much easier for blind or visually
> impaired taxi riders to pay --- and who was one of the first to use it?
> Former New York Gov. David Paterson, who is blind.
> "This is the first time I'll be able to use a credit card by myself in a
> taxi cab, and I was the Governor of New York!" joked Paterson today.
> The software allows passengers to hear the fare changing in regular
> intervals during the taxi ride. A prerecorded voice will also read aloud
> all aspects of the credit card or cash payment once the taxi reaches its
> destination, including fare verification and how much to tip. Images
> will also be displayed on the taxi TV screens to help the passengers.
> The audible touch screen system can be activated by a special card or by
> simply asking the driver.
> Right now, only a portion of the city's cabs will get the software. The
> software will be installed into about 1,250 cabs in the next two weeks.
> There are 13,237 cabs total in the city's fleet.
> How do you know you're in a cab with the technology? It will be audibly
> announced on taxi TV when riders enter the cab.
> Before the new devices, blind taxi passengers were forced to rely on cab
> drivers to swipe their card and enter the correct amount, including tip.
> Not only is this a violation of current TLC rules, but also it exposes
> blind passengers to the risk of being ripped off, said Councilman James
> Vacca, chair of the Council's Transportation Committee, and whose father
> was blind.
> Vacca introduced a bill that will require all city cabs to have a
> version of this software installed.
>
>