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Trip Start ​

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Overview ​

The Trip Start workflow begins a new passenger hire. The Taxi Meter notifies CabFare Connect that a trip has commenced and receives a Trip ID that is used as the unique identifier for all subsequent events in that hire. Trip Start applies to both standard and Subsidy Scheme trips.

Sequence Diagram ​

sequenceDiagram
    actor Driver
    participant TM as Taxi Meter
    participant CC as CabFare Connect

    Driver->>TM: Starts trip hire on Taxi Meter
    TM->>CC: POST /meter/trip/start (taxiMeterId, driverId, vehiclePlate, tripId)
    
    alt Driver is eligible for Subsidy Scheme trips
        CC-->>TM: 204 No Content (trip started, MPTP status valid)
    else Driver is not eligible for Subsidy Scheme trips
        CC-->>TM: 202 Accepted (trip started, MPTP status invalid)
        TM-->>Driver: Disables Subsidy Scheme functions for this trip
    end

Step-by-Step ​

Step 1 — Driver starts trip on Taxi Meter ​

The driver begins the hire by starting the trip on the Taxi Meter as normal. The Taxi Meter sends a trip start notification to CabFare Connect.

Taxi Meter calls:
POST /meter/trip/start

Required fields: taxiMeterId, driverId, vehiclePlate, tripId

The tripId may be generated by the Taxi Meter or by CabFare Connect. If the Taxi Meter does not generate a tripId, CabFare Connect will generate one and return it in the response. The tripId must be used as the identifier for all subsequent events in this hire including Member Card Validation, Trip End, and Balance Payment.

Step 2 — CabFare Connect responds ​

If the driver is eligible for Subsidy Scheme trips:

  • CabFare Connect returns 204 No Content
  • The trip is active and Subsidy Scheme functions are available

If the driver is not eligible for Subsidy Scheme trips:

  • CabFare Connect returns 202 Accepted
  • The trip is active but Subsidy Scheme functions are disabled for this trip
  • The Taxi Meter should update its display to reflect that Subsidy Scheme processing is not available

Step 3 — Trip is active ​

The trip is now active. Depending on the trip type the workflow continues as follows:

  • Subsidy Scheme trip — proceed to the Member Card Validation workflow to validate the passenger Subsidy Card
  • Standard card payment trip — proceed directly to Trip End when the passenger reaches their destination
  • Cash or other payment trip — proceed directly to Trip End when the passenger reaches their destination

Key Points ​

  • The tripId must be unique per trip — do not reuse tripId values from previous trips
  • If a 409 Conflict is returned, a trip is already active for this vehicle — ensure the previous trip has been closed via /meter/job/done before starting a new one
  • The tripId must be consistent across all subsequent API calls for this hire
  • Trip Start applies to both standard and Subsidy Scheme trips — the trip type is determined by subsequent actions, not at trip start