Taxi ads boss to bounce back after Cabtivate failure

THE businessman whose taxi TV advertising firm went bust has unveiled new plans to install touch-screen directories in hundreds of the city's private hire cars.

Mark Greenhalgh defied criticism on BBC2's Dragons' Den programme to launch his company Cabtivate, which collapsed in January.

Now, he has set up a new venture and asked council chiefs for permission to install interactive entertainment systems in the city's private hire cars.

Dozens of Edinburgh cabbies were left out of pocket when Cabtivate - which screened adverts on televisions in the back of black taxis - went out of business.

His new venture, called Tapinto, is designed for private hire cars and saloon-type taxis and will not be offered to the city's black cab fleet.

It will carry news, weather and sports updates on a seven-inch screen built into the headrest of the front seat of a car.

Passengers will also have access to entertainment listings at the touch of a button and will be able to use the latest technology to download anything from restaurant offers to city maps from the system on to mobile phones.

Mr Greenhalgh, 42, who is managing director of Tapinto Ltd, said: "I do not want to draw any parallels between Cabtivate and Tapinto because they are entirely different products for entirely different markets, and are therefore not in competition for business.

"We are convinced the system will add to the experience of visiting the city and further enhance Edinburgh's reputation as a world leader in tourism, as well as provide an important service for the city's residents."

He continued: "Private hire car drivers can supplement their income, local businesses can promote themselves to a whole new audience, residents get regular access to discounts and promotions through Bluetooth downloads, and visitors get access to a vast amount of useful information about the city."

Mr Greenhalgh has offered to sell off the intellectual property rights to the Cabtivate software for 1 to help taxi drivers claw back some of the cash they lost by eventually making money from the idea.

One senior figure in Edinburgh's black cab trade welcomed Mr Greenhalgh's new venture.

He said: "Some people will chastise him for starting up again but what is he supposed to do? He is still trying to earn a living. The system is different and doesn't appear to have many risks for drivers, so it could work."

Cabtivate was slated by Scottish multimillionaire Duncan Bannatyne on Dragons' Den but, despite not winning any investment, the company initially appeared to prosper before hitting cashflow problems in January.

Mr Greenhalgh said an error by the Bank of Scotland left him with a funding gap in his accounts that contributed to the collapse of his firm.

Tapinto is expected to make its money through advertising so drivers do not have to pay to lease, buy or install the equipment.

It is understood Tapinto has reached an agreement with one of the city's biggest private hire car firms over the equipment, which is not in use anywhere else in the world.

Tapinto needs the approval of the city's regulatory committee, which meets on April 18, to install the system.

Ben Carter, VisitScotland's area director for Edinburgh and the Lothians, said: "Innovations like this, which will give visitors access to a wealth of information when they need it, could be great news for the city.

"It will help to give visitors ideas for things to do on their trip, and may even encourage them to come back again."

"It is important that when visitors leave Edinburgh they go back home feeling that there is always more to do and that they need to book another trip."