SINGAPORE: The next time you are in a ComfortDelGro taxi and hear a voice alerting cab drivers about speed or red-light cameras, know that it is because of a new tie-up between the taxi operator and Traffic Police to discourage speeding.
Information on the location of these cameras have been uploaded by the Traffic Police into the Global Positioning System (GPS) database in new Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) installed in the taxis. When a taxi driver approaches such cameras, the programme will sound a warning to taxi drivers.
The system also alerts drivers to prices of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries ahead, as well as bus lanes when they are in operation, said taxi drivers with the new X-One MDT units installed in their cabs whom TODAY interviewed. A feature from older systems warning cabbies driving above the speed limit has also been incorporated.
The traffic programme aside, taxi drivers - facing growing pressure from competition from third-party car booking apps - also welcomed the new unit’s improved features, such as faster central processing unit (CPU) speed, two antennas - compared with one previously - and a better GPS location receiver so the company can better track and locate taxis’ locations. This allows for faster response to bookings.
Commenting on the traffic programme, a police spokesperson said: “The intent of this initiative is to proactively alert road users to our enforcement cameras and the accident hot spots. Taxi drivers are a significant group of road users, hence, they are selected for this initiative.” The spokesperson added that ComfortDelGro was one of the companies that responded positively to this initiative.
More than 6,000 of these new units will be installed in ComfortDelGro taxis. The company started with 100 taxis in April, and another 1,900 were installed by August. The third and final batch units will be installed by the first quarter of next year.
Taxi drivers lauded the initiative as a good reminder to avoid reckless driving, as well as discourage passengers from urging drivers to speed.
Mr Henry Tay, 45, who has been driving a MaxiCab for nine years and has had the X-One for four months, said the system even allows drivers to select the distance from cameras that they want to be notified, such as 100m, 300m or 500m away. Drivers can also choose if they want a verbal warning or beeping sound.
“(The new system) is very useful because sometimes passengers always ask us to ‘drive faster, drive faster’. But when they hear the warning sound, they understand that we’re not supposed to be driving that fast,” added Mr Tay.
While the system allows for customised notifications - and even for it to be completely switched off - he said he has decided to leave it on because there were “more advantages of turning it on than turning it off”. “It helps to monitor and improve our driving habits,” he said.
The warning sounds are also especially useful for drivers on the night shift to help them stay awake and alert, added Mr Vincent Ann, 55, who was part of the first batch to try out the new system.
Mr Goh Han Chuan, 63, who has been a cabbie for 20 years, also appreciated that he could see more bookings for jobs coming in compared with the old system.
Another driver, Mr Lee Guan Chuan, who has been driving for 15 years, agreed. “You might go into a tunnel and come out and find that the signal is stuck. So if you drop off a passenger, you might be empty, but the company will not track you because the GPS signal is stuck. Even if there is a lot of demand for taxi call bookings, we will not receive them because … (the company) doesn’t know where the vehicle is.”
He added: “With this new one, immediately after you come out from the carpark, you are linked to the company system. When I start early in the morning, I might pick the first passenger faster. At the end of the day, I might end up (earning) a little higher.”
-TODAY/av
Still don't upgrade, all the IT staffs can marching order together liao.......
Originally posted by Keepthechange666:Still don't upgrade, all the IT staffs can marching order together liao.......
Upgrade systems booking oso lose to grab taxi
my mdt ping once grab taxi can ping 5 time
IT and call center different boss la......