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Crown Cabs switches to digital dispatch

North Battleford councillors heard Monday about enhancements by Crown Cab to the service they provide to the Battlefords. Owner/manager Imran Zaka and manager Neha Bhagat spoke to council to let them know about their plans.
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North Battleford councillors heard Monday about enhancements by Crown Cab to the service they provide to the Battlefords.

Owner/manager Imran Zaka and manager Neha Bhagat spoke to council to let them know about their plans.

The most significant one is a move to a new digital dispatch system that they said would make it easier to dispatch cabs and pick up clients. They said it would cut down on the time customers wait for a cab, improve their service and improve customer satisfaction. As well, they were able to track cabs using GPS and find the nearest car available to a client. Bhagat said customers should not have to wait more than five minutes in the new system.

Among the advantages cited was the ability to create, store and edit bookings, the ability to accurately book future trips, the ability to locate a driver easily in case of an emergency, the addition of a mobile data terminal and receipt printer in the cabs and an ability to keep customers' history so it could be called up easily whenever they called for a cab.

Also new are wireless debit/credit machines to allow electronic pay options for customers, seen as a convenient option for seniors and those from outside the community. It was also touted as improving cab drivers' safety so they would carry less cash on them.

They also talked a little about their fleet of hybrid synergy cars, which uses a mixture of gas and electricity, with Bhagat noting the electrical aspect allows them to save money on gas.

They added that Crown Cab plans to move to the old RCMP building on 100th Street.