New airport taxi rank webcam to help drivers manage demand
A webcam has been installed near the airport taxi rank to help taxi drivers check on demand.
It has come about through a partnership between Traffic & Highway Services and the Guernsey Taxi Drivers Association, which is hosting the webcam on its website.
It is hoped it will reduce the need for taxi drivers to wait at the airport at times when there is very little or no demand, potentially preventing them from serving other customers elsewhere, and ensures that they can more readily respond to increased demand.
‘With the recent installation of the webcam at the airport this is going to help taxi drivers no end,' said Guernsey Taxi Drivers Association chairman Peter Blondel.
'They will be able to see what the state of play is regarding the number of people waiting for taxis at the airport and then know whether it’s going to be worth their while going back to the airport, as opposed to gambling that you’ll get a fare or not.
‘Along with the Guernsey Taxi App, which was launched last year, this is another good tool for the taxi industry.’
To comply with data protection and to ensure privacy, the webcam is only available to taxi drivers who request a log-in to access it. It cannot be viewed by members of the public.
States head of on-island travel and transport implementation Laura Oxburgh said it had been good to work with the taxi drivers on the initiative.
‘Given the importance of privacy we had to ensure that this was done in the right way, but we believe that this will be worth the effort benefitting islanders, visitors and taxi drivers.’
