Two taxi companies led their competitors here Saturday in introducing the global positioning system (GPS) technology to handle their taxi fleets.

The GPS network at the Municipal Taxi Network Control Center is designed with a capacity of 100,000 terminal users. It is so far the largest GPS application platform in China.

A huge electronic screen set up in the center, located in the

southern part of Beijing, shows the location and operation data of hundreds of taxis which have GPS devices installed.

The Jinjian and Yinjian taxi companies will install GPS devices in 5,000 cabs by the end of this year, it is learned.

Beijing has 68,000 cabs.

(Xinhua News Agency December 09, 2001)