New Digital System in Vallarta Taxis to Offer Payment by Credit Card Efren Urrutia - AZ Noticias
go to original September 3, 2013

The Umbrella Media Company in conjunction with the Central de Trabajadores de Mexico (CTM) Jalisco and the three unions of taxi drivers in Puerto Vallarta has launched a proposal to improve transport service in the city taxis.

The intention is to provide a mechanism to offer computerized products and services that may be paid by credit card as well as the amount for taxi service, plus it will provide weather information, news, directions, advertising, flight information, dynamic maps, accumulation rate, public service announcements, location based marketing, promotions, coupon books and discounts.

This was announced in a press conference by Carlos Olamendi, Vice President of Umbrella Media, a company with over 30 years in the market of technological innovation in transportation and who used a system with the same characteristics in the last Olympic Games in London 2012.

The purpose of this initiative is that taxi drivers have a choice of financial gain, since they will receive commissions for selling products that reach the clients by cellular airtime, payment for services such as electricity, reservations for restaurants, hotels, and various related services and tourism as the National Lottery, said the General Secretary of the CTM, Hector Sanchez Cardenas.

This mechanism seeks to connect with locals and businesses in the region, as well as other national and international orders, which will be promoted in taxi units and will also include a GPS system to track the units 24/7 and to act in case of an accident.

So far, 20 units have signed up for this technology and the system is being offered to the remaining 1,145 taxis in Puerto Vallarta. This figure corresponds to taxis that are in the hotel and tourist strip whose drivers would be provided with a complete operating instruction program, according to Carlos Olamendi.

The presenters stressed that this Puerto Vallarta initiative will be the first destination in the country that will have this equipment in taxis. The goal is to expand to other destinations like Cancun, Guadalajara, Los Cabos and more.

Finally, the representative of the CTM noted that this project will not be mandatory for the taxi drivers, "nobody here imposes anything and we have already spoken with the drivers for their views on the matter and will leave it up to them to decide whether they will be added or not," he said.

Translated and edited by Team Angels