21st Century Taxis

NEW YORK -- It's the cab of the future. New York's next generation of taxi cabs is coming.
There's still no guarantee the driver will speak fluent English or know where he's going.

But New York City taxi passengers should soon be able to enjoy other things about the trip.
In the coming weeks, new taxis will take to the street. They're not your father's Checker cab.

These have a digital television monitors with touch-screen device that lets riders catch up on the news, check the weather, read a restaurant review or see where they are on an electronic map.

There's also a credit card reader for those who want to charge it. And it'll calculate the tip for you.

Then again, if all you want to do is read the paper, look out the window or catch a nap, you can shut the TV system off.

The city Taxi and Limousine Commission showed off the new cabs Thursday and said they could start showing up next week. The taxi commission ordered the new features after a fare increase in 2004, but the upgrades are just beginning to appear.