Airport webcam to help Guernsey taxi drivers

Tuesday, 26 November 2024 at 07:15

Real time pictures of customer demand outside the arrivals door at Guernsey airport seeks to cut taxi waiting times.

Traffic and Highway Services and the Guernsey Taxi Drivers Association have installed a camera on the airport terminal building, facing the ranks, so drivers can see queues, in real time, on their phones.

The organisations hope this will reduce the number of long waits for arrivals, and free up taxis to serve other customers around the island.

Chairman of the Guernsey Taxi Drivers Association, Peter Blondel, says the webcam will be a good tool for the taxi industry - benefiting islanders and visitors.

"This is going to help the taxi drivers no end, whereby they will be able to see what the state of play is regarding the number of people waiting for taxis at the airport and then knowing whether it's going to be worth their while going back to the airport, as opposed to gambling that you'll get a fare or not."

Head of the On-Island Travel and Transport Implementation team, Laura Oxburgh, says privacy is a priority.

"Access to the webcam feed is through a secure log-in on the Guernsey Taxi Drivers Association website, and it won't be accessible to members of the public.

The privacy of those around the airport is really important.

The purpose is just to get an idea of the demand, not to identify individuals."

She added that more webcams might be set up for taxi drivers in the future, for example at the Weighbridge in St Peter Port.