Why are taxi and private hire operators moving towards what3words technology?

Image credit: what3words

This month taxi and private hire despatch software firm Cordic became the first systems provider to offer what3words bespoke geocoding technology on all of its white-label applications. They join private hire operator Addison Lee as one of the first in the industry to integrate the technology into their platforms.

There has been much talk about ‘what3words’, but what does it mean to the taxi and private hire industry and how can it help?

Basically a what3words address is a human-friendly way to share exact locations using a 3-word code without a street address. It is optimised for voice input, ideal for drivers using mobile devices safely, and contains built-in error prevention to identify and correct input mistakes immediately.

One of the biggest challenges for taxi operators, drivers and passengers are communicating precise locations where no valid address is available. For example, when picking up a passenger from a large venue, airport, car park, industrial estate, rural areas, and so on, street addresses are not precise enough to ensure drivers will find their passengers’ exact pick-up spot. Relying solely on lengthy descriptions and landmarks could often lead to confusion and lost time.

what3words now allows three seemingly random words to solve this problem by pointing taxi drivers to their meet-up’s precise 3-metre square. Every 3- metre square has been given a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. Entering /// admiral.turkey.pushed as a destination for example, will take you to the front entrance of what3words’ London office.

If passengers were looking to go to the canal side entrance they could be dropped off at /// bands.piano.gave and walk to /// youth.runner.guess.

Drivers and operators will now be able to obtain more precise locations, improve despatch time efficiency, and enhance users’ experience. Expect to learn and hear more about what3words throughout 2021.