MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: New Straits Times

Many of us may still recall Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Limousine's expensive attempt at using global positioning system (GPS) technology some years back.

But unknown to many, yet another attempt at using GPS by KL taxis had hit a brick wall.

The GPS system, called Raywood Automatic GPS Taxi Dispatch System (AGTDS) from Australia Ltd, was installed in about 100 KL Teksi Radio and City Line taxis back in 1999. The exact location of taxis are tracked using radio frequency from Cab Charge (M) Sdn Bhd's radio base station situated at Ulu Kali, near Genting Highlands. However, it was only in operation for about six months in 1999.

According to Chong Yun Choy, director of Cab Charge (M) Sdn Bhd, the company invested about RM1 million worth of GPS equipment that could allow the operation of 200 taxis.

Roadblocks
According to Chong, most taxi drivers do not seem to respond to using the GPS system positively. Expressing his frustration, he points out that local taxi drivers are reluctant to use the GPS system simply because some are illiterate and thus, unable to read the data on the GPS data terminal. They are also not too keen to use the standard map guide which was offered together with the GPS service when locating customers.

On this note, Chong informs that the company had spent about RM30,000 in purchasing the map guide from Rimman International's Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley street directory.

"Either they are so used to voice communication and therefore do not want to change, or they simply do not want to be tracked down," he laments.

He adds that it is difficult to discipline local taxi drivers because of the labour quality and perception of the job. Comparing the local taxi industry with Singapore's Chong says that the latter provides a career path for taxi driver.

Over here, driving taxis is seen as a last resort for people who are out of jobs. This prevents the local taxi industry from adopting more efficient technologies that can improve services for the public.

And because of the limited adoption of these GPS systems, the business volume generated is rather low, Chong says.

"We dare not publicise the services then because with only about 100 taxis, we are afraid we could not meet customer demands," Chong told Business Computing.

However, he is not giving up. Chong hopes to get his own taxi-operating license so that he can train a group of taxi drivers to use this system. He reckons that 300 taxis will be an ideal number to start with.

However, his application for the license has been lying at the office of the license issuing Ministry for the last two years and attempts to get a response from the ministry has failed.

Doing It Right
The closest example of a successful GPS implementation is down south in Singapore, where a number of taxi companies have already been using the system for some time. One such company is Tibs Taxis Pte Ltd which operates about 2,000 taxis in the island.

Although admitting that the start-up cost for a GPS system is not cheap, the company's head of call center, Eunice Lui, says that the investment is worth every penny spent.

"Our business volume has almost doubled," she says, adding that the time taken to process a job from receiving customers calls to getting the nearest taxi for them has been cut down by almost 100 per cent.

Tibs Taxis Pte Ltd purchased the GPS system from Australia-based Sigtec Pty Ltd back in 1995 and had installed it in all its taxis. ""It is not an option to not use it for every taxi driver," says Lui. Initially, there was resistance among taxi drivers as they needed to change form the voice communication via the walkie talkie to using the GPS mobile terminal.

Eventually, all taxi drivers had to undergo at least two hours of training in order to use the system effectively. With the GPS tracking system, the company is able to analyse and estimate the distance covered by each taxi every day, where and at what time there are more passengers.

This does not only enable them to calculate the general income of the drivers, but also to know which are potential pick-up areas and peak hours in a day. The GPS system also provides a distress button which the driver can activate when there is an emergency. Once the button is activated, the call center will be alerted immediately so that necessary action can be taken.

Lui also points out that besides job dispatch, the GPS mobile terminal is also used as a tool for the company to broadcast company matters to taxi drivers.

The company is also exploring the possibility of enhancing the GPS system by linking the system to the roof top signs on taxis to show the status of availability. For example, when the taxi accepts a dispatch job, the roof sign will automatically displays that it is not available for hire.

"Then, customers will not have the misconception that the taxi accepts a dispatch job, the roof sign will automatically displays that it is not available for hire.

"Then, customers will not have the misconception that the taxi is simply not picking up passengers," she adds.

The entire GPS implementation took about nine months for Tibs Taxis Pte Ltd.

"The set-up part was difficult as there were various internal systems and we needed to integrate all of them.

"Also, there were other problems we did not anticipate until we tested out the GPS service," she says. It is best to prepare for all the different possibilities to ensure the smooth running of the whole system, Lui adds.

The Price Factor
A check with some local taxi operators found that the awareness level for GPS technology in Malaysia was relatively high. In fact, many of them are keen to adopt GPS technology, but were held back due to several reasons.

For Sunlight Radio Taxi Services Sdn Bhd's operations manager, C.H. Lim, who has seen such a system for taxis in Singapore, felt that the cost of a GPS system is still too expensive.

Chong Yun Choy, director of Cab Charge (M) Sdn Bhd says that for its GPS trial, it costs about RM4,000 to RM5,000 to install the system in a taxi, and the company charges RM160 per month for the rental of the service for each taxi. Acknowledging that the price is rather steep, Chong informs that the monthly fee could go down to about RM120, should the number of taxis using the system increase.

Lim from Sunlight Radio Taxi services also comments that the GPS system is easier for a small country such as Singapore where most of its roads are one-way streets. "We have many two-way streets here and it is dangerous for the taxi drivers to look at the screen while driving," he says. Sunglight Radio Taxi Services operates more than 1,000 taxis in the Klang Valley. The company is expected to offer Web-based taxi booking service within this year.

Mohd Hatta bin Hasan, general manager of the Kumpulan Kenderaan PBPM (WP) Bhd which operates Wira Cab, says that although the company could not invest in GPS technology this year due to other financial commitments, it will seriously look into it next year. "This is a good system where we are able to determine the exact position of our taxis. If anything happens to the taxi drivers we can locate them easily," he comments. The company currently operates about 100 taxis.

As for Raymond Yap, operations manager for Public Cab Sdn Bhd, the price factor is also a main consideration in adopting the technology. He reveals that two foreign GPS providers have approached the company to use the technology, but the company is looking for a local provider that can hopefully offer a lower price and better after-sales service. Public Cab Sdn Bhd has about 700 taxis and expects the GPS system to ease the management of its fleet of taxis and thus, provide a competitive edge. Yap foresees a small portion of its drivers who are illiterate to have problems using the system, but through training, he believes this can be overcome.