For taxi riders who aren’t always charmed by their drivers’ tastes in music, Telus (TSX:T) and Yellow Cab are partnering to offer free Wi-Fi to passengers looking for a distraction while travelling through Vancouver.
The telecom giant announced May 5 it would begin stamping its logo on Yellow Cab’s fleet of 350 taxis “in the coming weeks” to indicate the vehicles have free wireless Internet access.
The service will be available to customers sitting inside the cabs whether or not they’re Telus customers.
Meanwhile, no passwords will be needed to access the Internet connection and no personal information will be collected from riders.
Once passengers leave the vehicle, their smartphones or tablets will automatically revert back to their mobile data plans.
Yellow Cab president Kulwant Sahota said in a release the free Wi-Fi would not affect taxi fares.
Last week, the City of Vancouver selected Telus as its provider of free Wi-Fi at 43 spots throughout the municipality.
The yearlong arrangement with Yellow Cab marks the first time free Wi-Fi has been offered in taxis in Canada and could be extended if the program is considered a success, according to Telus.
A Telus spokeswoman said in an email the company would await customer feedback before determining whether to continue the program beyond May 2016.
One of the wireless provider’s reasons for offering the service, she said, is to showcase the company’s technology and give “riders who aren’t with (Telus) the opportunity to experience our network.”
The Telus spokeswoman could not reveal which organization covered the costs of outfitting Yellow Cab’s fleet with Wi-Fi connectivity since financial terms of the deal remain confidential.
