Deal is Reached Between CMT and Chicago Taxi Affiliation Services
“CMT is proud to work with Yellow, Checker and Blue Diamond which have long histories of innovation and excellence in the Chicago taxi industry,” said Ron Sherman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Creative Mobile Technologies (“CMT”), as he discussed the 10 year deal that has been reached between CMT and Chicago based Taxi Affiliation Services.
Michael Levine, Chief Executive Officer of Yellow, Checker and Blue Diamond has indicated that the Chicago taxi fleets will serve as an entry point for new CMT-developed features that will augment CMT’s award-winning suite of products which operate at this time in over 5,500 New York City taxicabs.
Sherman and Levine met via the New York City taxi market, where both men operated long-entrenched taxi fleets. Levine first introduced the CMT technology in over 300 New York City yellow taxicabs. The technology includes credit and debit card processing, text messaging, GPS, electronic trip sheets plus media and advertising content. In New York, CMT partnered with Bank of America, Feeney Wireless, Mobile Knowledge, World Line Communications and Clear Channel Taxi Media and soon was known as the “by the industry, for the industry” answer for taxi technology.
After realizing how the technology increased revenues for drivers and improved the taxi experience for passengers, Levine decided to bring the technology to Chicago where Yellow Cab is a known as an trailblazer in the taxi business, having introduced been the first to introduce features such as anti-lock brakes, balloon tires and safety belts.
Chicago taxi passengers will now have control over every aspect of the payment process as they will be able to swipe their own credit cards in a process that will only take seconds to complete. Passengers will also appreciate the introduction of services such as an exclusively programmed news and entertainment system along with touch screen controlled passenger maps.
Taxi drivers also will reap rewards from this improved system, as it will reduce frustrations with outdated transaction processes and increase efficiency and reliability. The new CMT-designed transaction process is modern and appropriate to the technology of the 21st century.
CMT’s “FREEdom Solution” has received one of VISA’s highest honors for its commitment to privacy protection and credit card security. The “FREEdom Solution” was developed by preeminent technology professionals and leaders of the taxi industry as a “by the industry, for the industry” solution. CMT’s omnipresent Passenger Information Monitors (PIM) are highlighted by incredible functionality that allows passengers to securely swipe their own credit card and complete wireless transactions instantly. The CMT PIM also features regularly updated news and media programming and GPS-powered passenger maps.
“Yellow and Checker have been pioneers in taxicab safety and technology from the 1920s, when John Hertz first installed traffic lights in Chicago and seatbelts in taxicabs, to the 1980s, when Yellow introduced the first digital dispatch system in Chicago,” said Mr. Levine. “We have always put passenger comfort and convenience first, and today, we are building on that tradition of innovation and service by providing our passengers with the fastest, safest, and most secure credit card transaction technology available as well as media content that will be both entertaining and informative. We believe that CMT technology and equipment will prove to be a huge boon to our passengers, our drivers, and to the City of Chicago. It will, without a doubt, improve taxi service in Chicago, and it is a natural fit for our companies here.”
