Need a cab? It's as easy as SMS

Anyone struggling to find a black cab in London will soon be able to locate and book one with a single text message.

People will use a Taxi Point - a sign with a four-digit code to identify an exact location within central London - and text the location code to the London Taxi Point short code (83220).

Using GPS tracking, the Taxi Point service will identify and book the nearest black cab from the participating taxi fleet, deliver a confirmation text and an alert when the taxi has arrived.

The service has been launched by application developer The Location Network in partnership with Xeta Cabs, a member of the London Taxi Network.

The service will cost £1 and Taxi Point signs will be posted in areas such as restaurants, theatres and bars. The Location Network said that more than 5,000 Taxi Points will be created in London over the next three years.

Craig Barrack, UK country manager at Netsize, which supplied the SMS connectivity for the system, said: "Many existing location-based systems use cell ID technology to locate an individual based on the position of the handset against base stations.

"However, many of these systems can be inherently flawed. In a highly dense urban environment such as central London, a single cell can cover many buildings and may not be accurate enough for such a service.

"The Location Network solution is to use physical signs, leaving no doubt as to the customer's precise location."