You will open your zones, see how each type is shown on the map, create a zone with its boundary, set its charges, pause it, and test which zones apply to any point. You need this when you start serving an airport, a school run or a charging area.
Go to Dispatch > Zones. The left card, All Zones, shows a colour legend and a table with Zone Name, Type, Status and Surcharge. The right card, Zone Map, draws the boundaries on a map of your city. The demo operator starts with a service area, a congestion zone, an airport zone and a clean air (ULEZ) zone; charges show in the Surcharge column (with the sidebar open, scroll the table sideways to see it).
Each row has two small buttons at the end. The pencil edits the zone. The three dots open a small menu with Delete. Both buttons stay visible on the right while the other columns scroll sideways.
Click Create Zone. On the left you fill in Zone Name, Zone Type, the Zone Active switch, Minimum Fare, Surcharge (flat), Priority, an optional Charge Schedule and a Description. On the right, Draw Zone Boundary is where you mark the area on the map.
Open Zone Type and choose the one that matches the rule: Service Area, Airport Zone, Congestion Zone, Clean Air / ULEZ Zone, Exclusion Zone, Surcharge Zone, School Zone or Hospital Zone. The extra fields follow the type: congestion and clean air zones add a daily Zone Charge and Exempt Fuel Types (ULEZ also an Emission Standard), surcharge zones add Surcharge (%) and Surcharge Label, and airport zones add the airport code, pickup point, terminals and meet and greet point.
Type the name, for example Harrow Hill School Zone, choose School Zone, and enter a Minimum Fare such as 6. Click Draw Zone on the map, then click the corners one by one. Each click adds a point and the shape fills in, with the coordinates written in Boundary Coordinates and a counter such as 4 pts beside the green Done button. Use the undo icon to remove the last point or the bin icon to start again, and click Done when the outline is right.
If you press Create Zone with the name empty, the dialog stays open, the name box turns red and a message at the top right says Enter a zone name. A zone also needs a drawn boundary; the message tells you to use Draw Zone, click the vertices and press Done. A name that already exists gets A zone named "..." already exists. Choose a different name., and a name longer than 100 characters is refused.
Click Create Zone. The message Zone Created appears and the new zone joins the list with its type chip and an ACTIVE status.
Click the pencil on a row, for example Heathrow Airport Zone. The dialog opens with the saved values: the type, Zone Active, Surcharge (flat) GBP 7.00, the Airport Code (IATA) LHR, the pickup point, terminals and meet and greet point, and the stored boundary. Change what you need and click Update Zone.
Open the Congestion Charge Zone. It has a daily Zone Charge (GBP 15.00), Exempt Fuel Types (electric and hydrogen do not pay), Surcharge (%) and Surcharge Label, and a Priority that decides which zone wins when zones of the same type overlap. Under Charge Schedule, click Add time window, pick the days (Mon to Sun; Mon to Fri start selected) and the From and To times (07:00 am to 10:00 am to start with) to limit the charge, for example to weekday rush hour.
Switch Zone Active off and click Update Zone. The message Zone Updated appears and the zone stays in the list with a grey INACTIVE badge; its rules stop applying. Switch it on again to bring it back.
Open More actions on a row and choose Delete. The app tells you that new bookings and dispatch stop applying the zone's charges and airport rules, and that it cannot be undone here. To pause a zone instead, switch Zone Active off in Edit. Click Cancel if you are not sure.
Under the list, use Coverage Tester. Click Pick on map and then a point on the Zone Map, or type a Latitude and Longitude (the grey 51.5074 and -0.1278 are only examples), choose the date and time (read in London time) and click Check coverage. The result lists every zone that applies with its charge; a point outside every zone says that no zone charges apply there.
On Dispatch > Live Dispatch use the Zones button on the map (under the Vehicles online and Jobs pending cards) to draw your zone boundaries; zoom out if you cannot see them all, and click a zone to read its name, type and charge. The Demand button adds a circle for each zone, sized by its surcharge percentage.
| Mistake | What you see | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pressing Create Zone with no name or no boundary | A message says what is missing and the dialog stays open | Type a name and draw the boundary with Draw Zone, then Done |
| Choosing the wrong type | The chip and map colour do not match the rule | Edit the zone and pick the right type |
| Deleting a zone that rates depend on | The app only asks you to confirm | Pause the zone instead, or check your rate cards first (see the rate cards tutorial) |
| Two zones of the same type overlap | Both charges may apply | Give the zone that should win a higher Priority |
| Item | Meaning / rule |
|---|---|
| Service Area | Where you take bookings |
| Airport Zone | Airport pickups, with a flat surcharge, airport code and terminals |
| Congestion and Clean Air zones | Daily zone charge, exempt fuels, optional percent and label |
| Exclusion Zone | An area you do not serve |
| School and Hospital zones | Areas with their own minimum fare or rule |
| Zone Active | On means the rule is in use; off shows INACTIVE |
| Priority | Highest wins when zones of the same type overlap |
| Charge Schedule | Days and hours when the zone's charges apply (London time) |
How do I mark an airport on the map? Create a zone, choose Airport Zone, add the flat surcharge and the airport code, then click Draw Zone and click around the airport boundary.
Can I add a minimum fare to a zone? Yes. Every zone type has a Minimum Fare and a Surcharge (flat) field, and charge types also take a percentage, a label and a daily zone charge.
Can a congestion charge apply only at rush hour? Yes. In Edit Zone, under Charge Schedule, click Add time window and choose the days and hours.
How do I check which zones apply to an address? Use the Coverage Tester under the zone list: pick the point on the map, set the time and click Check coverage.
GridX FMS runs this whole workflow. See what GridX FMS does and what it costs, or browse all step-by-step guides.