The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has proposed a pilot program that would allow smartphone users to see a map of available cabs and instantly contact and request the nearest taxi.

According to the San Francisco Examiner, the $400,000 program would be a joint effort between Cabulous, a San Francisco-based company that offers the necessary technology, and the MTA.

Cabulous already has contracts with about 400 taxis in San Francisco and under the proposal, all taxis in the city would be equipped with the technology.

The paper reports that a 2006 Controller’s Report found that “33 percent of passengers trying to hail a taxi on a weekend night waited longer than 30 minutes.”

The proposal is not without its critics as the Examiner reports that officials with Luxor Cabs are upset after investing $100,000 in a similar smartphone application, Taxi Magic.

Cabulous officials said that “order efficiencies – the number of calls that result in cab rides – have improved by 50 percent for drivers who use the application.”

The plan could head to the MTA‘ s full board of directors for approval later this year.

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• Tag: App, cabs, MUNI, Smartphones, Taxis