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Plus a SatNav won't know that at rush hour, a longer (distance-wise) route could be quicker in a black cab due to them being allowed to use bus lanes.

by cjrp 12y ago

TeMPOraL 12y ago
Well, that's a simple software problem with street definitions. Much simpler to fix than what amounts to implementing a GPS/pathfinding system inside someone's head for even one driver.
viraptor 12y ago
Google maps already integrates with Uber. If they managed to get such connection, I'm not sure why a bigger black cab company operating in large cities couldn't get an agreement to include taxi/bus lanes on a separate app. Can't imagine Uber forced Google to cooperate with them...
- dragonwriter 12y ago
  Isn't Google -- through Google Ventures -- a significant investor in Uber? That kind of may give them a different set of considerations than "a bigger black cab company" would have.
  - viraptor 12y ago
    Sure and I think we're in agreement - Google proved it will do something nice for a taxi company if they profit from it. It's just a very specific kind of profit in this case.
- cjrp 12y ago
  Google Ventures are an Uber investor, I'm not sure if that's what sparked the integration but it probably didn't hurt! I'm not sure if there's actually a comprehensive source for bus lane data - if there is, it would be really useful for motorbike users too (who can generally use bus lanes).
danielweber 12y ago
I don't want to say "that should be easy to do," but I'd be shell-shocked if any company with experience doing navigation systems couldn't figure this out without too much trouble. Also, even if GPS signals are hard to get in London, navigation in a fixed city can be calculated in lots of different ways. Allowing for some regulatory limits, a company (or an experienced third-party) could scatter their own transmitters around the city as needed, figuring out which frequencies give the best accuracy.
- lttlrck 12y ago
  It should be easy to minimize turns across traffic and avoid traffic lights... but they seem to have plenty of trouble doing that.

Plus a SatNav won't know that at rush hour, a longer (distance-wise) route could be quicker in a black cab due to them being allowed to use bus lanes.

by cjrp 12y ago

Plus a SatNav won't know that at rush hour, a longer (distance-wise) route could be quicker in a black cab due to them being allowed to use bus lanes.

TeMPOraL 12y ago

Well, that's a simple software problem with street definitions. Much simpler to fix than what amounts to implementing a GPS/pathfinding system inside someone's head for even one driver.

viraptor 12y ago

Google maps already integrates with Uber. If they managed to get such connection, I'm not sure why a bigger black cab company operating in large cities couldn't get an agreement to include taxi/bus lanes on a separate app. Can't imagine Uber forced Google to cooperate with them...

dragonwriter 12y ago
Isn't Google -- through Google Ventures -- a significant investor in Uber? That kind of may give them a different set of considerations than "a bigger black cab company" would have.
- viraptor 12y ago
  Sure and I think we're in agreement - Google proved it will do something nice for a taxi company if they profit from it. It's just a very specific kind of profit in this case.
cjrp 12y ago
Google Ventures are an Uber investor, I'm not sure if that's what sparked the integration but it probably didn't hurt! I'm not sure if there's actually a comprehensive source for bus lane data - if there is, it would be really useful for motorbike users too (who can generally use bus lanes).

danielweber 12y ago

I don't want to say "that should be easy to do," but I'd be shell-shocked if any company with experience doing navigation systems couldn't figure this out without too much trouble. Also, even if GPS signals are hard to get in London, navigation in a fixed city can be calculated in lots of different ways. Allowing for some regulatory limits, a company (or an experienced third-party) could scatter their own transmitters around the city as needed, figuring out which frequencies give the best accuracy.

lttlrck 12y ago
It should be easy to minimize turns across traffic and avoid traffic lights... but they seem to have plenty of trouble doing that.