On-demand taxi service Uber is never without a lawsuit, it seems. Recently, the company faced scrutiny for its behavior at Los Angeles International Airport as it’s illegal for drivers who lack the proper permits to pick up passengers at the curb.

Airport police impounded 40 ride-sharing vehicles during a two-week span in July, according to NBC Los Angeles. To resolve those concerns — and to cut down on congestion caused by drivers awaiting a fare — Uber recently implemented geofencing technology to alert drivers of ride requests only if they are parked in the airport’s limosine parking lot. This way, Uber drivers aren’t circling the airport waiting for requests and clogging up the roads around terminals. Normally, Uber works by alerting the closest driver to the requesting rider, so some drivers are upset that they are losing out on ride requests.

Geofencing technology’s benefits could extend to field service, too. Service leaders and fleet managers could set geographical boundaries for drivers or alert the nearest driver to a customer request. Customers, meanwhile, could receive push notifications alerting them if a tech is in the area and available to work. Uber’s already using GPS and geofencing technologies to alert passengers to the number of available drivers at the airport.

 

 

 

ABOUT Maeghan Ouimet

Maeghan joined Original9 with over 5 years of media experience — reporting and writing on business, culture and technology trends for Rolling Stone Australia, Boston Magazine, and Inc. Magazine. She is a self-admitted start-up geek and semi-avid Bikram yoga practitioner.