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79% of taxi passengers would like to be able to differentiate taxis which have wi-fi and phone charging from those which don’t

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

March 29, 2012 | 2 min read

Research has found that 79% of passengers would like to be able to easily identity taxis which offer free wi-fi while hailing them, with 79% also saying they would like to be able to differentiate between taxis which offer in-cab phone chargers from those which don’t.

The research of 517 London taxi passengers by Ubiquitous for its Icons-on-Icons Report found that signposting payment options on the side of taxis was also rated as an important function, with 66% saying they would use taxis more often if they knew in advance of journey that they could pay electronically, while 86% said they like the idea of being able to choose to pay by card or cash at the last minute.

Andrew Barnett, managing director of Ubiquitous, commented: “Mobile phones running out of batteries, or failing to get a decent mobile connection when out and about, are pains suffered by busy consumers and business people up and down the country. For this reason, taxi passengers are understandably keen to benefit from the innovations in in-cab technologies, be it to charge their smartphone to make an important call or access the internet to search for crucial information or download emails.

“The problem lies in them not being able to identify which cabs carry which services. There is a tremendous opportunity for major operators and technology companies to associate their brand themselves with these SOS services and help consumers re-energise and re-connect at a moment of need.”

It was discovered that the majority of passengers (91%) use their handsets during a taxi journey, with 84% checking emails, 67% texting and 60% checking Facebook.

Barnett said: “With all eyes on London in the run up to the Olympics, the iconic black cab will prove to be a key outdoor advertising channel. But in order to offer advertisers the most effective means of engagement with passengers, we must look to adopt the technologies they want. Over 70 per cent of passengers interviewed for the report stated they were a technology influencer within their social circle, so the availability of technology on the go is of growing importance.”

Taxi image via Shutterstock

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