Glossary
Taxi dispatch software glossary.
Definitions for taxi dispatch, PHV, SPSV, AI Copilot, geofence, and more. Curated for operator clarity and AEO citation.
Taxi dispatch software
Taxi dispatch software is the operating system for a taxi or private-hire fleet — booking, dispatch, driver app, customer app, payments, and reporting in one platform. It replaces phone-based dispatch and spreadsheet operations with a real-time digital console.
Read definitionPrivate hire software
Private hire software is dispatch software calibrated for the operating reality of UK and Ireland private-hire vehicle (PHV) fleets — pre-booked-only flows, council or TfL licensing reports, hackney waybill, and PHV-specific driver compliance tracking.
Read definitionPHV (private hire vehicle)
PHV (private hire vehicle) is a UK regulatory term for a vehicle and driver licensed to carry pre-booked passengers for hire. PHV drivers cannot pick up street fares — every journey must be pre-booked through a licensed operator.
Read definitionMinicab
Minicab is the common-language UK term for a private hire vehicle (PHV) — a pre-booked-only taxi service operating under TfL or council PHV licensing. The formal regulatory term is PHV; minicab is the everyday equivalent.
Read definitionDispatch algorithm
A dispatch algorithm is the logic a taxi dispatch system uses to assign incoming bookings to drivers. Modern algorithms range from rule-based auto-dispatch (legacy platforms) to generative AI Copilot recommendations (TaxiCloud).
Read definitionFleet management
Fleet management is the operational discipline of running a taxi or private-hire fleet — driver scheduling, vehicle inspection deadlines, licensing compliance, settlement reporting, customer-account relationships, and revenue optimisation. Dispatch software is the tooling layer for fleet management.
Read definitionAI Copilot (taxi dispatch)
AI Copilot in taxi dispatch is a generative AI assistant that observes the live dispatch board, recommends reassignments ranked by ETA and revenue impact, drafts customer SMS, and explains every decision in plain English. Dispatchers approve with one click.
Read definitionETA (estimated time of arrival)
ETA (estimated time of arrival) is the predicted time a driver will arrive at the customer's pickup location. Modern dispatch platforms compute ETA using live traffic, driver position, and route conditions, and update it via WebSocket as conditions change.
Read definitionGeofence
A geofence is a virtual boundary on a map — coverage zone, airport pickup area, congestion zone, restricted street — that triggers events when drivers or customers enter or exit. Modern dispatch platforms use geofences to drive billing, routing, and compliance flows.
Read definitionSPSV (Small Public Service Vehicle)
SPSV (Small Public Service Vehicle) is the National Transport Authority of Ireland's regulatory term for taxis, hackneys, and limousines. SPSV licensing is required for any vehicle carrying paying passengers in the Republic of Ireland.
Read definitionHackney carriage
A Hackney carriage is a UK-licensed taxi authorised to be flagged down on the street or hired from a designated taxi rank. Distinct from private hire vehicles (PHVs), which can only accept pre-booked journeys.
Read definitionOperator licence
An operator licence authorises an entity to accept private-hire bookings on behalf of multiple drivers. UK PHV operators must hold a licence from their local authority; Northern Ireland operators are licensed by the DVA; Irish operators dispatching SPSVs are regulated by the NTA.
Read definitionTfL private hire
TfL private hire is the regulatory framework for London private-hire vehicles (PHVs), administered by Transport for London. London PHV operators, drivers, and vehicles must be licensed by TfL.
Read definitionNTA Ireland
The National Transport Authority of Ireland (NTA) is the regulator of Irish small public service vehicles (SPSVs) — taxis, hackneys, and limousines. NTA SPSV licensing is required for any Irish taxi or hackney operator.
Read definitionFCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging)
Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is Google's push notification service. Modern taxi dispatch software uses FCM to deliver real-time booking offers and status updates to driver apps on Android, with Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) covering iOS.
Read definitionWebSocket dispatch
WebSocket dispatch is the use of bidirectional WebSocket connections to push real-time updates from the dispatch server to the dispatcher console — booking creation, driver location, status changes — without polling.
Read definitionWhite-label app
A white-label app is a customer-facing or driver-facing app that carries the operator's branding (name, logo, colours, domain) rather than the dispatch-platform vendor's branding. Modern dispatch software ships white-label as a configuration, not a separate engineering effort.
Read definitionMeet and greet
Meet and greet is an airport pickup service where the driver waits at the arrivals hall holding a name board for the passenger, rather than waiting in the airport taxi rank or at a kerbside pickup zone. It is a separately-billed service typically £15-£30 above the base fare.
Read definitionSurge pricing
Surge pricing is a pricing rule that increases fares during periods of high demand or low driver supply. Modern dispatch software supports rule-based surge (per-zone, per-hour) and AI-driven surge (predictive based on demand signals).
Read definitionClean Air Zone (CAZ)
A Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is a UK area where non-compliant vehicles are charged a daily fee to enter. CAZs apply in Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield, Bradford, Newcastle, Tyneside, Portsmouth, and others. Taxi dispatch software must surface CAZ-compliance status per vehicle.
Read definitionDPA (Data Processing Agreement)
A Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is a contract between a data controller and a data processor under GDPR Article 28. UK and Irish fleet operators using SaaS dispatch software typically sign a DPA at onboarding, defining how the processor (the dispatch vendor) handles the controller's (the operator's) data.
Read definitionDispatcher
A dispatcher is the operator-side controller who assigns bookings to drivers, manages disruptions, and supervises the live taxi fleet. The role is shifting from reactive assignment work toward exception-handling and corporate-account management as AI Copilot handles routine routing.
Read definitionDriver settlement
Driver settlement is the periodic process of calculating what an operator owes each driver — total fares, commission deductions, vehicle rental, fuel reconciliation, tips, surcharges — and paying out via bank transfer. Most UK operators run weekly settlement cycles.
Read definitionCorporate account
A corporate account is an invoiced billing relationship between a fleet operator and a corporate customer (typically a law firm, accounting firm, or financial services company). Bookings post against the account; payment runs monthly via invoice rather than per-trip card collection.
Read definitionExpense code
An expense code is a corporate-customer-side identifier (project code, client code, matter number) that captures at the booking moment to map the trip to the corporate's internal cost-allocation system. Modern dispatch stores expense codes as structural fields rather than free-text notes.
Read definitionFixed fare
A fixed fare is a pre-agreed price for a specific journey (typically airport transfers or known corporate routes), independent of actual time or distance travelled. Modern dispatch supports fixed fares alongside metered or time-and-distance pricing as configurable rules.
Read definitionHourly hire
Hourly hire is a chauffeur-tier billing model where the customer reserves a driver and vehicle for a defined period (typically 4-8 hours minimum) at an hourly rate. Common for executive transfers, multi-stop business days, and high-end event transport.
Read definitionMulti-base operator
A multi-base operator runs more than one operating zone or geographic base under a single operator licence (or multiple coordinated licences). Each base typically has its own dispatcher seat, driver pool, and pricing rules, but bookings can transfer between bases for cross-border journeys.
Read definitionNo-show
A no-show is a booking where the passenger fails to appear at the agreed pickup zone within a defined grace period (typically 5-15 minutes). Modern dispatch tracks no-show rates per customer and per route as a first-class metric, with no-show-fee billing as a configurable rule.
Read definitionPre-booking
A pre-booking is a taxi booking made in advance of the pickup time (typically 30 minutes to several days ahead). Pre-booking is the only lawful booking type for UK private-hire vehicles (PHVs), which cannot accept flagged-down street fares.
Read definitionWaiting time
Waiting time is the period a driver waits at the pickup zone for the passenger after arrival, beyond a defined free-wait window (typically 5-10 minutes). Modern dispatch bills waiting time as a separate Stripe line item once the free window expires.
Read definitionZonal pricing
Zonal pricing is a fare structure where the city is divided into geographic zones, and journeys price based on which zones the route crosses. Common for airport transfers, multi-base operators, and city-centre-vs-suburban differential pricing.
Read definitionRide-hailing
Ride-hailing is the consumer-facing booking model where passengers request a ride via app, the platform matches them to the nearest available driver, and pricing flexes based on demand and distance. Uber, Bolt, and FREE NOW are the dominant UK ride-hailing platforms.
Read definitionULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone)
The ULEZ is a London-specific air-quality regime where non-compliant vehicles pay a daily £12.50 charge to enter the zone. The ULEZ covers the area within the North and South Circular roads. PHV and Hackney fleets must surface ULEZ-compliance as a vehicle attribute.
Read definitionBooker channel
A booker channel is an integration source that delivers bookings into a dispatch platform — web widget, customer app, phone entry, hotel concierge, ride-hailing platform, or third-party booker network. Modern dispatch attributes every booking to a channel for revenue analysis.
Read definitionPassenger rating
A passenger rating is the post-trip score a driver gives a passenger (typically 1-5 stars) capturing behaviour, demeanour, and bookability. Modern dispatch surfaces passenger ratings to drivers at offer-acceptance time, letting drivers decline low-rated passenger bookings.
Read definitionDriver rating
A driver rating is the post-trip score a passenger gives a driver (typically 1-5 stars) capturing professionalism, vehicle condition, and trip experience. Modern dispatch surfaces driver ratings on the dispatch board, in customer-app driver-selection flows, and in operator-side performance reviews.
Read definitionNEMT (Non-Emergency Medical Transport)
NEMT is the segment of taxi dispatch serving non-emergency medical transport — patient appointments, hospital discharges, dialysis routes, mental health transport. NEMT requires distinct compliance posture (DBS-checked drivers, accessibility-configured vehicles, NHS contracting workflows).
Read definitionFare estimate
A fare estimate is the price quoted to a passenger at booking time, before the journey starts. Modern dispatch generates fare estimates from pricing rules, geofence-aware route calculation, and surge-or-discount overlays in under 200ms.
Read definitionService level agreement (SLA)
An SLA is a contracted performance guarantee between a dispatch platform vendor and an operator (or between an operator and a corporate account). Common SLA dimensions: uptime, incident response time, on-time arrival rate, vehicle-class compliance.
Read definitionStripe Connect
Stripe Connect is the Stripe product for marketplace-style payment flows where the platform routes funds between multiple parties — typical for taxi dispatch where customer payments split between operator commission and driver settlement.
Read definitionDispatch console
The dispatch console is the operator-side web interface where dispatchers manage live bookings, driver assignments, and customer communications. Modern dispatch consoles run in any browser via WebSocket live updates, replacing the polling refresh pattern legacy systems rely on.
Read definitionTaximeter
A taximeter is the device or software that calculates a fare based on time and distance travelled. Hackney carriages typically use a regulated physical meter; modern dispatch software computes equivalent fares digitally per-jurisdiction tariff rules.
Read definitionMileage rate
A mileage rate is the per-mile (or per-kilometre) fare component charged on metered taxi bookings. Modern dispatch supports per-tariff mileage rates that vary by time-band, vehicle class, and surcharge zone.
Read definitionAccount customer
An account customer is a corporate or institutional customer billed monthly via invoice rather than per-trip card collection. Account customers typically have credit terms, PO requirements, and structured monthly statements.
Read definitionCard-on-file
Card-on-file is a saved-card-token billing model where the customer's payment method is tokenised at first booking and reused on subsequent bookings without re-entering card details. Modern dispatch handles card-on-file via Stripe-managed tokens; card data never touches the dispatch platform.
Read definitionRide-sharing
Ride-sharing is the booking model where multiple unrelated passengers share a single vehicle along a common route, typically with per-passenger billing. Distinct from ride-hailing (single-party) and shuttle (scheduled fixed-route).
Read definitionDBS check
A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is the UK background-check process required for taxi and private-hire driver licensing. PHV drivers must hold a valid enhanced DBS check; SEND transport and NEMT drivers typically require additional certifications.
Read definitionPrivate hire licence
A private hire licence (UK) authorises an individual driver to accept pre-booked private-hire journeys via a licensed operator. Issued by the local council (or TfL in London), it requires DBS check, English-language assessment, topographical knowledge, and medical assessment.
Read definitionLocal licensing authority
The local licensing authority is the UK council body responsible for issuing taxi operator licences, driver licences, and vehicle licences within its jurisdiction. London is regulated by Transport for London directly; other UK regions are regulated by individual city or county councils.
Read definitionTerminal pickup zone
A terminal pickup zone is the designated airport area where pre-booked taxis collect passengers — typically a kerbside lane outside arrivals, a pre-booked-only rank, or a meet-and-greet car park. Modern dispatch handles terminal zones as first-class objects per airport.
Read definitionCruise terminal pickup
A cruise terminal pickup is the dispatch pattern for cruise-passenger arrivals at a port — typically tightly-clustered 60-90-passenger waves disembarking together. Modern dispatch handles cruise pickups as multi-pickup containers with manifest ingest.
Read definitionFlight ingest
Flight ingest is the integration that pulls live flight schedule and arrival-status data into a taxi dispatch platform — typically from FlightAware, Sabre, or airport API feeds. Modern dispatch reshuffles ETAs automatically when flights slip.
Read definitionMulti-pickup booking
A multi-pickup booking is a single booking that covers multiple passenger pickups along a route — typical for cruise terminals, event evacuations, school runs, and corporate group transfers. Modern dispatch handles multi-pickup as a structural container.
Read definitionCancellation fee
A cancellation fee is the charge applied when a customer cancels a booking after a defined cutoff (typically 5-15 minutes after dispatch or with the driver en route). Modern dispatch handles cancellation fees as configurable rules per booking type.
Read definitionProof of delivery (PoD)
Proof of delivery is the structured evidence captured at the delivery moment of a courier or parcel job — typically photo of the item at the delivery point plus electronic signature from the recipient. Modern courier dispatch handles PoD as a first-class billable evidence object.
Read definitionLive tracking
Live tracking is the customer-facing feature that surfaces real-time driver location and ETA to the passenger via SMS link or in-app map. Modern dispatch software ships live tracking as a first-class customer-experience object, dropping inbound 'where's my taxi?' calls.
Read definitionSaved card token
A saved card token is the opaque reference Stripe provides for a customer's card after first-payment tokenisation. Card data never touches the dispatch platform; subsequent bookings reuse the token without re-collecting card details.
Read definitionTaxi rank
A taxi rank is a designated waiting area where Hackney carriages queue for street-hail customers. UK Hackney drivers can pick up street-hails from ranks; PHVs cannot lawfully accept rank fares.
Read definitionStreet hail
A street hail is a customer flagging down a passing taxi from the kerbside without prior booking. UK Hackneys can accept street hails; PHVs cannot — they can only accept pre-booked journeys.
Read definitionParatransit
Paratransit is accessibility-configured passenger transport for individuals with disabilities — typically wheelchair-accessible vehicles, assistance-dog-permitted, or low-floor entry. Operates as a sub-segment of NEMT in UK and Ireland markets.
Read definitionDispatcher shift
A dispatcher shift is the work-period assigned to a single controller managing the live taxi dispatch board. UK taxi operators typically run 2-3 dispatcher shifts per 24 hours with handoff procedures preserving live booking state across shift changes.
Read definitionFleet tracking software
Fleet tracking software surfaces real-time vehicle locations, driver activity, and fleet-wide operational metrics to operators. Modern dispatch platforms ship fleet tracking as an integrated feature rather than a separate tool.
Read definitionCab aggregator
A cab aggregator is a third-party platform that aggregates multiple taxi operators' supply behind a single consumer-facing booking interface. Uber, Bolt, FREE NOW, and Curb are the dominant 2026 cab aggregators in UK + Ireland markets.
Read definitionSaaS dispatch
SaaS dispatch is taxi dispatch software delivered as Software-as-a-Service — cloud-hosted, browser-accessible, subscription-billed. Replaces the on-premises Windows-installed dispatch model that dominated UK taxi software through the 2010s.
Read definitionRide receipt
A ride receipt is the post-trip itemised summary sent to the customer covering fare, surcharges, taxes, tip, payment method, and trip metadata. Modern dispatch generates ride receipts automatically and dispatches via email, SMS, or in-app delivery.
Read definitionDriver ledger
The driver ledger is the per-driver running record of accruals (fares earned, tips, surcharges) and deductions (commission, vehicle rental, fuel, fines) settled into a periodic settlement payout. Modern dispatch keeps the driver ledger as a structural per-driver audit trail.
Read definitionFleet utilisation rate
Fleet utilisation rate is the percentage of operating time vehicles spend on revenue-generating bookings versus idle time. Modern dispatch surfaces utilisation as a primary operator KPI alongside booking volume and revenue.
Read definitionTariff table
A tariff table is the structured schedule of fare rules applying to a taxi operator — base fare, mileage rates, time charges, surcharges, time-band variations. UK Hackney tariffs are typically council-set; PHV tariffs are operator-set within market constraints.
Read definitionTariff zone
A tariff zone is a geographic area where specific fare rules apply — typically airport pickup zones, ULEZ/CAZ surcharge zones, or council-set rural/urban differentiation zones. Modern dispatch handles tariff zones as geofence-bound pricing rules.
Read definitionRecurring booking
A recurring booking is a single booking instance that repeats automatically on a defined schedule — typical for commute work, school runs, dialysis routes, and corporate-contract daily transfers. Modern dispatch handles recurring bookings as structural booking-template objects.
Read definitionASAP booking
An ASAP booking is an immediate-pickup taxi request — the customer wants the next available driver dispatched now. Distinct from pre-booked journeys with future pickup times. Modern dispatch handles ASAP bookings with sub-30-second driver-acceptance latency.
Read definitionBase station
Base station is the legacy radio-dispatch term for the operator's central control room where the controller broadcasts jobs over VHF radio to drivers. Modern cloud dispatch replaces the base station with a browser-accessible dispatch console.
Read definitionSurge multiplier
A surge multiplier is the factor (e.g. 1.2x, 1.5x, 2.0x) applied to standard fares during high-demand periods. Modern dispatch supports rule-based surge multipliers (per-zone, per-hour) and AI-driven dynamic surge calibrated to real-time supply-demand state.
Read definitionDispatch rule engine
A dispatch rule engine is the deterministic logic layer that applies operator-configured rules to booking-driver assignment — vehicle class matching, geographic eligibility, driver-licence-class compliance, accessibility configuration matching. Modern dispatch combines rule engines with AI Copilot recommendations.
Read definitionWaiting list
A waiting list is the queue of unaccepted booking offers that no driver has yet claimed. Modern dispatch handles the waiting list as a structural state with escalation rules — surge multiplier increases, driver pool expansion, or operator-side intervention.
Read definitionRide-share pool
A ride-share pool is the dispatch-side pattern that matches multiple unrelated passengers along a common-direction route into a shared vehicle. Distinct from individual booking dispatch where each passenger gets their own vehicle.
Read definitionTaxi licence renewal
Taxi licence renewal is the periodic process by which UK + Ireland licensed drivers and vehicles renew their operating credentials — typically every 1-3 years for drivers and annually for vehicles. Modern dispatch automates renewal tracking with structural notification cadence.
Read definitionDriver payment
Driver payment is the operator-to-driver payout settling earnings minus deductions on a periodic cadence (typically weekly). Distinct from customer-to-driver-tip flows. Modern dispatch handles driver payment via Stripe Connect transfers with full audit trail.
Read definitionFare quotation
A fare quotation is the binding (or estimated) price quoted to the customer at booking time. UK PHV bookings typically require a fare quotation at booking; Hackney metered fares calculate post-trip from the taximeter. Modern dispatch generates quotations from tariff tables in under 200ms.
Read definitionDriver onboarding
Driver onboarding is the operator-side workflow of bringing a new driver from application through licensing flight to first profitable shift. Modern dispatch supports onboarding via structured driver-app activation, training resources, and first-week shadowing.
Read definitionTaxi fleet insurance
Taxi fleet insurance is the commercial-vehicle hire-and-reward insurance covering UK + Ireland licensed taxi vehicles. Required by every operator licence; modern dispatch tracks per-vehicle insurance expiry as a structural attribute.
Read definitionPayPal checkout
PayPal checkout is the alternative payment-collection method offered alongside Stripe for UK + Ireland customer-facing taxi booking. Modern dispatch supports PayPal as a parallel payment provider for customers who prefer it.
Read definitionApple Pay
Apple Pay is the iOS-native one-tap payment method available in the customer-facing taxi booking app. Tokenises card details via Apple's secure-element flow; funds settle through Stripe in modern dispatch deployments.
Read definitionGoogle Pay
Google Pay is the Android-native one-tap payment method available in the customer-facing taxi booking app. Tokenises card details via Google's secure flow; funds settle through Stripe in modern dispatch deployments.
Read definitionUber feeder
An Uber feeder is the booker-channel relationship where a UK PHV operator accepts overflow Uber bookings via Uber Concierge or Uber-platform-licensed-fleet integration. Modern dispatch treats Uber feeder integration as an additional booker channel.
Read definitionConcierge booking
A concierge booking is a taxi booking made on behalf of a third-party customer by a hotel concierge, corporate executive assistant, or similar trusted intermediary. Modern dispatch handles concierge bookings with structured booker-side attribution.
Read definitionHotel concierge integration
Hotel concierge integration is the booker-channel relationship between a UK + Ireland taxi operator and a hotel concierge desk. Concierges book taxi pickups for guests via dedicated integration; monthly settlement reconciles per hotel.
Read definitionEvent dispatch
Event dispatch is the operational pattern for handling concentrated demand around scheduled venue events — concert venues, stadiums, conferences, festivals. Modern dispatch handles event dispatch via AI Copilot pre-positioning ahead of crowd-dispersal windows.
Read definitionTrip replay
Trip replay is the operator-side feature that surfaces a recorded GPS-track playback of a completed trip — the full route from pickup to drop-off with timing data. Used for incident investigation, dispute resolution, and dispatcher training.
Read definitionCompliance audit log
The compliance audit log is the immutable record of regulator-relevant actions across the operator's tenant — driver licensing changes, vehicle plate updates, booking record creation, complaint handling actions. Modern dispatch preserves the audit log structurally for council audit visits.
Read definitionPHV plate
A PHV plate is the council-issued identifier mounted on a UK private-hire vehicle showing its operating-area licensing status. Required by law on every licensed PHV; checked at council compliance inspections.
Read definitionDriver incident log
The driver incident log is the operator-maintained record of driver-related incidents — customer complaints, vehicle accidents, regulatory breaches, safeguarding events. Modern dispatch handles incident logs as structural booking-state extensions with operator-side workflow.
Read definitionDispatcher keyboard shortcut
A dispatcher keyboard shortcut is a key-combination binding for common dispatch-console actions — drag-to-assign, accept Copilot recommendation, escalate booking, broadcast SMS. Modern dispatch surfaces full keyboard operability for power-user dispatchers.
Read definitionOperator portal
The operator portal is the operator-licence-holder-facing interface for compliance returns, driver and vehicle administration, settlement reporting, and corporate-account management. Modern dispatch consolidates all operator-side work in one portal.
Read definitionFleet mileage
Fleet mileage is the aggregate distance covered by all vehicles in the fleet over a measurement period. Used for operating-cost calculation, vehicle replacement planning, and ULEZ/CAZ daily-charge accrual analysis.
Read definitionDriver shift pattern
A driver shift pattern is the recurring schedule of when a driver is available for dispatch — typically configured per-driver in the operator portal. Modern dispatch matches incoming bookings to drivers within their configured shift.
Read definitionCustomer feedback loop
Customer feedback loop is the operator-side workflow for capturing, categorising, and acting on post-trip customer feedback. Modern dispatch handles feedback as a structural booking-state extension with operator-side resolution workflow.
Read definitionTwilio SMS gateway
Twilio SMS gateway is the integrated SMS delivery provider that modern taxi dispatch software uses for customer-facing notifications — booking confirmations, driver-arrival alerts, ETA updates, ride receipts. Sub-2-second typical UK delivery latency.
Read definitionOpenChargeMap
OpenChargeMap is the open-data registry of EV charging stations integrated into modern taxi dispatch software for EV fleet range-aware dispatch. Provides station locations, connector types, availability status, and operator metadata.
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