What does a taxi MDT do?
It receives job offers from dispatch, lets the driver accept or reject them, shows the pickup, destination and passenger notes, sends status updates (arrived, on board, completed) and reports the car's position. Before data terminals, the same conversation happened by voice radio.
Why did fleets move from fixed MDTs to apps?
Because a driver app on an Android phone or tablet does the same job without wiring, adds navigation, payments and receipts, and is updated over the air. Fixed terminals tie a fleet to one vendor's hardware and need a technician for every swap.
What still needs hardware?
Things the law or the work demands in the car: approved taximeters where the licensing authority requires one, card terminals if not taken in the app, roof signs, and a sturdy mount and charger for the phone or tablet.
See taxi dispatch devices and tablets and the TaxiDex driver app, which runs on Android phones and tablets.
Frequently asked questions
What does MDT stand for in a taxi?
Mobile data terminal: the in-car device that exchanges job data with the dispatch system.
Do I need an MDT for taxi dispatch software?
Not a dedicated one. Modern dispatch systems send jobs to a driver app on an Android phone or tablet, which acts as the terminal.