Australia-based operator Telstra partnered with domestic startup Cab Digital Media to launch a digital platform to display real-time safety messages and advertising on the back of taxis.

Called TaxiLive, the digital billboard service uses GPS-enabled smart screens which are remotely managed using the operator’s IoT network. Messages including traffic alerts and weather warnings can be displayed.

The first taxis featuring the platform are already in use in Sydney, and Cab Digital Media aims to equip more than 300 vehicles in the city by 1 April and 945 nationally by November.

In a statement, Martijn Blanken, group MD of customer management and sales at Telstra Enterprise, said the companies worked for two years to create the platform.

“We are excited to work with Cab Digital Media to create this home-grown innovation. The TaxiLive solution is a great example of how technology and IoT will continue to connect and digitise new things all around us, creating smarter cities and communities,” he said.

Cab Digital Media’s longer-term ambition is to partner with roadside authorities to share the GPS data generated from each TaxiLive unit, which could contribute to future transport, infrastructure and congestion reduction initiatives.

Najeeb Aftab, co-founder and head of sales and partnerships at Cab Digital Media, said: “With the right data, we may be able to look at things like which taxi ranks are over-populated and under-serviced to ensure better taxi availability, particularly in areas such as hospitals and locations with a higher proportion of elderly and disabled people.”