DAVID Wheeler is a hard man to get hold of.

The Maryborough cabbie and director of B&W Taxis spends his days making sure people arrive safely at their destinations – and customers are his top priority.

Recently installed state-of-the-art navigation systems mean customers aren’t left waiting so long to get a cab.

“The good thing about this new system is that drivers are getting to the customer a lot quicker,” Mr Wheeler said.

“All of our cabs have this system now and it’s going to be rolled out across Queensland.”

The navigation system works in a similar way to cbut is connected to an on-board computer that logs details of every job.

“It practically takes us straight to the door of the person we are picking up,” Mr Wheeler said.

“It’s especially helpful for our newer drivers. It also makes it easier to track jobs.”

Advances in technology have made it safer for taxi drivers to work alone and late at night.

It has been common practice for drivers to carry radios with an alarm system that could be activated in an emergency.

In the past the alarm system was reliant on radio reception, but that is no longer the case.

The new system has an inbuilt SIM card and works using Next G technology so, even if there is no reception, drivers can raise the alarm in dangerous situations.

“I started driving taxis when I was 19 and I’m 43 now,” Mr Wheeler said.

“There’s a real social aspect to the job. I enjoy meeting lots of beaut people.

“This new technology is helping speed things up a bit.”