Prof Cheng Shih-Fen (centre) of the Fujitsu-SMU Urban Computing and Engineering Corporate Lab with cabbies Zainon Mohamed and Simon Tay, who have been using the app. (Photo Credit: Alphonsus Chern)

The Fujitsu-SMU Urban Computing and Engineering Corporate Lab – a collaboration between SMU, Japanese technology firm Fujitsu and A*Star – is co-developing an app to help direct cabbies to areas of high street-hail demand. The app uses historical data as well as real-time data on taxi locations and status from the Land Transport Authority to predict demand. According to Associate Professor of Information Systems Cheng Shih-Fen, Deputy Director of Research at the Lab, the app gives a good indicator of the demand and supply of taxis in a certain area. The app has produced positive results and 400 cabbies have since installed it since November.