The Taxi/Rickshaw retrievers and passenger tracking device,

The Taxi/Rickshaw retrievers and passenger tracking device,

- Sheikh Anwar Ullah Khoundkar Aakash;

- Khoundkar Latifa Yasmin;

Finding a taxi or an auto rickshaw can be pretty hard in Bangladesh. Particularly in a country like Bangladesh where people depend exclusively on rickshaw and auto rickshaws to travel , this could be a problem of serious magnitude. Sometimes your just too afraid to get out of the bed because your too afraid you won't find a rickshaw when you're out on the road tomorrow!!!

If a specialised communication and tracking system is developed just for the taxi and auto rickshaw drivers, these problems of finding a rickshaw just might solve.

At first of all, Auto rickshaw and Taxi Stands/Stations will be put within walking distances from each other all over the city, so people may reach them easily.
Here's anexample of the system with the map of Banani , Dhaka.

Red circles show the position of the stations.

On each of these stations there will be a special device,

one of the two device connected to the electronic digital network system with the other one being installed within the taxi/auto rickshaw.
 The station device shall be something like this -

This device will contain a series of buttons with the names of the the stations all over the city.

The passenger shall press the button with the name of the Area that is his destination. For ease of finding there may also be a city map with name, details and distance of the of the destination station and maybe even possible Taxi/Rickshaw fare.

There will also be button withchoice of vehicles, so passengers may summon the vehicle of his choice e.g. taxi/rickshaw or micro bus for rent etc.

When the passengers press the button on the device, it will give signal to all the rickshaw/taxi or rent a car services within close proximity (according to the passenger's choise).
The rickshaw / taxi driver or the rent a car services will get a signal on their version of the device.

The device installed on Taxi/Auto Rickshaw will have lcd maps displaying the location of the passengers waiting for the taxi and also the location of their destination point and a list of the name of the stations around the city. If the Rickshaw/Taxi driver is ready to go there he will press a button similar to a cellphone answer button and consult with the passengers.

Taxi driver may press a button from the list of the names of the stations to see the map of that location for navigation purpose.

Here's an example of a man in West Bengal Howrah in India trying to reach his destination in Balligaunge:-

Passenger needs to go to station near Kasturi restaurant in Balligaunge, so he press the button.

The device installed on Taxi / Auto Rickshaw will give the driver a signal alerting him of the passengers location (at Lake Land club Howrah, in this example). The diver receives the call of passenger and the passenger tells the driver his location and details of his destination(Kasturi restaurant Balligaunge, in this example). The driver analyses the digital map learns about his would be passenger and the route (eg. Passenger'slocation at Lake Land Club Howrah and his destination at Kasturi restaurant in Anil Maitra road at Balligaunge will be highlighted on the digital maps).

Taxi / Auto Rickshaw driver then confirm to the passengers that he will take them to there.

Light mobile apps that will run on all smart phones may also be launched that connects to the system online. For android and also java users may use these apps to call rickshaws prior to their journey.

This app shall allow people to choose his destination and vehicle of choice, a message will be sent to the taxi driver, and if any driver is ready to take him they will be able to call him using the device installed on Taxi / Auto Rickshaw and inform the passengers.

If such a device and a mobile app is made, people'slives would be so much easier, and there won't be any more problems getting around the city!