IC chip system tested to prevent congestion caused by waiting taxis

CHIBA November 25, 2006; Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is conducting a demonstration test in Chiba for an integrated circuit chip system to prevent waiting taxis from causing traffic congestion around taxi stands reported japan Today. The system, which includes IC chips mounted on taxis and antennas at a taxi stand and a parking facility, allows taxis to wait at the facility and promptly move to the taxi stand to pick up passengers, instead of lining up at the stand.

The antenna at the stand detects a taxi with an IC chip picking up a passenger there and sends a signal to the parking facility via a server so that another taxi can move to the stand from there to pick up the next passenger. The test, which started earlier this month, has eliminated the long line of taxis waiting at Chiba station of East Japan Railway Co.