Our 365 system, along with our dedicated Driver Companion app, seamlessly integrates with CabMan's MDT Taxi Meters in your fleet vehicles, allowing for ease of use when dispatching and completing jobs. This article covers a high-level overview of how the meter integrates with our system.
Integration Overview
Our 365 system communicates with the CabMan meters installed in your vehicles, sharing details like dispatched bookings and trip updates. Any updates via Booking & Dispatch or the Driver Companion device are immediately shared with the meter.
How the Meter Connects to 365
Before the system can interact with the CabMan meter there are several settings to configure. Proper configuration allows for authentication with the CabMan services and establishes communication between the system and the meter.
First, several parameters should be entered into the Management section to establish a connection to the CabMan servers. This includes the email address and password registered on CabMan.
Next, still within Management, an Add-Ons Group should be created to designate the Meter Type as "CabMan." All vehicles equipped with a CabMan meter must be configured to use this Add-Ons Group. Additionally, the device name of the CabMan meter for each vehicle should be stored in the Meter Serial Number field within the Equipment tab. This is essential for validation, as our system and the CabMan meter will only accept valid meter serial numbers.
Using the Meter
Once the CabMan MDT settings are configured in 365, the meter will connect automatically as soon as the driver logs in. When the CabMan meter is active, Driver Companion is also configured to function with no meter.
Starting a Shift
Drivers should always start by logging into the CabMan meter first. After that, they can start their shift in Driver Companion.
As soon as the driver logs in, background validation checks to see that the driver ID from the meter is correct for the vehicle on shift, otherwise the shift is ended with a message on the Driver Companion app stating why.
Ending a Shift
When a driver ends a shift using Driver Companion, the details are sent to the system, which concludes the shift and sends a request to the CabMan meter to indicate that it is off shift.
The driver has the option to log out of the meter before ending the shift. If this is done, it prompts Driver Companion to end the shift, and this change is reflected on the device.
When the meter is switched off, it will indicate that no bookings will be sent until the meter logs back in. This disconnection is also shown in Driver Companion, indicating that the remote meter is no longer connected.
Dispatched Bookings
When a new booking is created in Booking & Dispatch (B&D) and dispatched to a vehicle with the meter, the booking details, including the Booking ID, Passenger Name, Pickup, and Destination, are sent to the meter.
The driver can accept the job offer on their Driver Companion by swiping and then confirming the job on the meter. Next, they should navigate to the Trip Window, select the booking, and press "Start Trip" on the meter to begin the journey.
If the booking is rejected, recovered, cleared, marked as no fare, or canceled upon dispatch, the event type is communicated back to the 365 system to update the booking status.
Once the trip has begun, the meter notifies the system that the trip has started, marking the dispatched booking as Passenger On Board (POB).
When the trip is completed, the driver can press "Stop Trip" on the meter, which updates the system about the trip’s status and marks the booking as completed in B&D. The completed status is then sent to B&D via a meter shout. The driver can then use their CabMan meter to select the payment method, such as cash or card. However, if the booking is marked as not paid through the meter, a no-fare status is sent to B&D instead.
Street Pickups
The driver can initiate a street pickup by pressing the "Start Trip" button on the meter. When this street pickup is initiated, the meter sends an update to the system to indicate that the trip has started. In response, B&D creates a new street booking, with both the pickup and destination marked as "As Directed," since these details are unknown to B&D.
If a driver has accepted a dispatched booking, that is the job they must complete next. If the driver attempts to start a street booking instead, B&D will disregard this attempt, as the driver has already indicated their commitment to the dispatched booking.
Once the current booking is completed on the meter, the meter notifies the system that the booking is complete. If no new request is received after the trip ends on the meter, the driver can also manually end the trip via Driver Companion.
Booking Recovery / Cancellation by Operator
When a booking is dispatched to the driver but later recovered or canceled by the operator, the CabMan meter is immediately updated to remove the booking. A message appears on Driver Companion stating the reason for the change.
No Fared Booking
If the driver sends a 'No Fare' response through Driver Companion, the booking is removed from the CabMan meter.
Rejected Booking
If the driver rejects the booking using Driver Companion, the booking is also removed from the meter.
Clear Booking
If the meter is in use, the driver cannot clear the trip by swiping in Driver Companion. If the driver attempts to do so, an error message will notify them to use the meter for clearing the trip. However, the operator can still clear the vehicle through B&D.
If the vehicle hasn't picked up the passenger and hasn't started the meter, the booking can be cleared in B&D, and the system will send a request to meter to remove the job.
If the passenger has already been picked up and the meter has started, the booking can still be cleared in B&D, but no request will be sent to remove the job from the meter. When the trip is completed, the booking will already have been removed in the system (since the clear command was triggered earlier), so the meter will ignore the shout for the booking.
Edited Booking
If a booking is updated after the driver has accepted it, such as when the passenger informs the operator of a change in destination or when the driver updates the destination in the Driver Companion app, the new details are sent to and shown on the meter.
Pricing
For variable fare bookings, the meter communicates the fare price to Driver Companion when the trip is completed, allowing the driver to collect the final total.
In the case of fixed fare jobs, the system sends the fare price to the meter at the start of the trip.
When a promo or loyalty code is used, the meter sends the fare amount to the system, which then provides the meter with the corresponding partial payment details. This allows the driver to manage the remaining transaction.