GPS Tracking and the Rights of Government and the People

Drivers Warned To Get GPS or “Else”

Transport Minister Ewart Brown has warned taxi drivers they have just over a week to get a mandatory satellite navigation system installed in their cabs.

The Deputy Premier admitted at a meeting on Tuesday night that there continued to be “service issues” with the Island’s taxis but said the high-tech GPS equipment was allowing Government to get more information on vehicles.

“August 6 is a very important day because that’s the deadline for the installation of the GPS system,” he said. “As of midnight August 6… any taxi driver that does not have GPS installed will be operating in violation of the law.”

Mr. Brown would not comment when asked after the meeting what penalty unequipped cabbies would face. Read full article here:

Here we go again with the rule by force method of GPS implementation. I’ve written a number of times already about the waste and idiocy of political entities imposing their will via GPS. See here, here, here, and if not too bored, here also.

GPS tracking is a business enhancement tool that will pay for itself. But it should be promoted and implemented in that respect only. The taxicab business seems to be particularly rife with government agencies attempting to obtain something by their own brand of force majeure. One can only wonder what it is they are trying to obtain.

Take a city, “X”. X is served by taxis. If the taxis are under the monopoly type companies, such as Yellow Cab, the city has no issue … the major cab companies have log ago adopted GPS tracking as an important business tool. But let’s say X is one of the few cities left that allows free and open competition … independent cab companies and individual “cabbies” with their own vehicle.

There are a number of reasons a city might want to see their cabs GPS tracked. Out of town and local customers will (if properly implemented) get faster service. If there are any “bad apple” drivers, such as those who might bilk an out-of-towner by taking a circuitous route, they can be found out. If taxis pickup passengers at unauthorized locations, that can be documented too. But trying to force the technology down people’s throats is certain to result in many more problems and ultimately, once the tort lawyers get involved, is going to cost X plus its citizen-independent drivers and unconscionable amount of money … for what?

If you want independent drivers to support a technology like GPS tracking, apply the KISS principle (That stands for “Keep it Simple, Stupid” for those not familiar with the acronym.

• Adopt and publish a standard. In many cities today there are customers who want to buy GPS tracking for their cabs but don’t want to take the risk of buy one thing and then having the city mandate a different system later.
• Do not be in the thrall of major manufacturers. There are several major GPS vendors in this space and a number of them are a bit disingenuous with customers. Don’t make a spec by brand name, specify what an acceptable system must do and let the buyers decide on the best product.

• Any company who doesn’t use open data and mapping standards is a charlatan, don’t deal with them.

The rules of engagement regarding who gets information from the system how incoming fare requests are shared, what the city can and can’t do with GPS information, Etc. are far, far more important than the system itself.

• Form a council of

• Concerned citizens (consumers)
• Taxi Operators (the folks who have to live with the system)
• Government officials (who will enforce any rules)
• Independent third party consultant(s) (NOT a “consultant” who will later profit from the system sold … see here for a glaring example of what NOT to do)

The council drafts the rules, coordinates them with decision makers, rewrites and continues until a rulebook s published.

Participation must be voluntary. Unless a government agency thinks they are descended from George III, (which our friends in Bermuda obviously believe to be true) they do not have the right or calling to force expenditures upon businessmen. Read the freakin’ Constitution, please.

If there is merit in having the GPS tracking installed on the cabs (and as a dealer of this type equipment I can assure you there is), then give your local, tax paying businessmen the opportunity of Darwinian Selection. Those who dig in their heels and choose not to participate will be weeded out by the simple process of economics. This freedom, I feel, is owed to every American citizen as well as the citizens of every other free country.

You may recall I wrote specifically about my on-line friend Ron Blount. Ron heads up the independent taxi driver’s alliance in Philadelphia. Taxis in Philadelphia have even gone on strike to protest a poorly thought out mandatory GPS tracking plan that violates all of my rules above, and a few more.

The latest word from Ron is that the matter is in court … the drivers seeking to win an injunction to keep the Philadelphia Parking Authority from imposing mandatory GPS rules, and the Parking Authority vigorously suing for the right to impose their will. I wish Ron and his guys the best, but I’m sad, very sad, that the situation ever got to this point.

One thing for sure … the lawyers on both sides are making plenty. The city is bleeding tax dollars that could be spent on something useful, the independent drivers are bleeding alliance dues out of their own pockets to support the other side of the dispute. If only we could communicate.