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Taxi ranks go high tech

Gijima AST has won the bid to supply a solution for Durban’s biggest taxi rank, to solve the problem of unauthorised taxis using this facility. There will also be a possible future roll out of 2000 more taxi ranks throughout KwaZulu-Natal should this solution prove effective.

Gijima AST is deploying 247 Technologies’ Sabre License Plate Recognition solution at Soldiers Way Taxi Rank in Durban’s Old Fort Road.

The city has embarked on a drive to use technology to provide better security at its taxi ranks and other public areas for the public, visitors, commuters and taxi owners alike. This solution is designed to manage and limit taxis’ access by use of an automatic licence plate recognition system that will only allow taxis listed on a pre-defined database into the ranks.

The final solution will also only allow a pre-determined number of taxis from this database into the rank at any one time and eventually the main rank will only be used for collection of commuters and not as a parking area for taxis or a car wash, as it is right now.

This will be achieved by implementing a holding rank outside the main CBD area where taxis will wait, do repairs and be washed. As space becomes available at the main rank, these taxis will be notified electronically of this space and they can then make their way to the main rank for collection of commuters. This should make for a faster transition of taxis though the ranks that, in turn will cut down on the number of people and the time they will spend in the rank. It is clear that the potential for crime in these crime hot spots will be reduced with positive spin offs for South Africa’s bid to become the world’s best Soccer World Cup host ever.

Boom gates together with spike barriers are being installed as well as over 34 cameras to oversee the rank. The complete system can and will be managed off site by the city’s security control room.

247 Technologies has invested heavily over the past five years into making this technology available. This investment has led to larger companies realising the potential of automatic licence plate recognition and Liberty Properties, to name one, is currently continuing with the evaluation of this technology, integrated to the SAPS stolen vehicle databases, warrant of arrest, outstanding fines and shopper profile hot lists. Pilot sites have also been implemented at large malls, including Sandton City.

This information can also be linked to a shopper database and other technologies to provide shop owners a profile on shopping behaviour and afford them the opportunity to target shoppers with profile relevant information on entering the facility.

In addition, over the last two years 247 Technologies has participated in numerous roadblocks that linked Sabre License Plate Recognition to the outstanding fine and warrant databases to assist traffic officers in profitably targeting specific vehicles.

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