Passenger discrimination in Istanbul

In Istanbul, 1.7 million of the population’s 32 million daily journeys are made by taxi. However, the city currently has a shortage of taxis, and they need to be integrated into last-mile transportation to increase the shift from private cars to public transport. There are a total of 18,395 taxis belonging to the municipality. Taxi drivers often choose passengers according to the length of their journey and their social status, based on their own judgement of the person. Drivers turn down a high number of passengers (53.8%) while they focus their attention on the most profitable customers.

Startup dataJiro will use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify taxi drivers who discriminate against passengers. To do so, dataJiro will use approximately 2,500 hours of in-car footage. The AI model can find information such as the number of passengers, vehicle speed, journey/route data analysis, and location with 99.7% accuracy. A discrimination score will be given for each taxi. A detailed and easy-to-use dashboard will also monitor the system and help effectively manage public transport planning.

The project will provide an effective way to increase taxi service inclusiveness, increase citizen satisfaction, reduce the use of private cars and cut greenhouse gas emissions.