All 796 of Transport Co.'s buses equipped with GPS: Thailand

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All 796 of Transport Co.'s buses equipped with GPS



BANGKOK, 7 Feb 2014, (NNT) - The Vice Chairman of the Transport Company Limited, Pinit Khamphu, has revealed that all of its 796 buses have been equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) as the company steps up its measures to monitor driver performance and ensure greater road safety.

Mr. Pinit said the GPS would inform the company of how fast a bus was being driven, and that the system would generate automatic reports to headquarters should the vehicle's speed go over a predetermined limit. He mentioned that after warnings, punishments for speeding drivers would include pay cuts and ultimately being fired for repeat offenses.

Mr. Pinit said that the GPS data would be shared directly with the Land Transport Department's monitoring system, effectively doubling the supervisory efforts. He was pleased to report that there had not been a single major accident since the installation of the system.

The vice chairman added that the company would encourage its coalition of private firms to install GPS units on all their buses, expecting the project could be completed this year. Currently the Transport Co. and its associated firms have roughly 6,000 buses operating. He said initially the company and the Department of Land Transport would absorb the installation cost of 20,000 baht with an online service subscription fee of 800 baht a month.


-- NNT 2014-02-07

[lee b]

Well if they go ahead the company will not have any drivers left to take passengers from A to B.

[Asiantravel]

" warnings, punishments for speeding drivers would include pay cuts and ultimately being fired for repeat offenses "

Mr. Pinit how about a higher standard of driver training as NCA have being doing for years ?

http://www.nca.co.th/index.php

Edited February 7, 2014 by Asiantravel

[RKASA]

Not bad - just a wild guess but maybe .7 baht per pac for the first year and .2 there after. I think they can ether afford it or rise the fares 1 baht per trip. At least they will know where the crash site is located right away. or as Ron White would say when asked how far we can make it "All the way to the scene of the crash! Which is pretty handy, 'cause that's where we're headed. I bet we beat the paramedics there by a half-hour!"

[3NUMBAS]

it wont stop em guzzling red bull and driving overtired off a cliff into a ravine

drivers need to be fitted with a tracking device to catch em when they flee the scene of an accident

[rogerdee123]

yeah I agree .... now if they can only keep their drivers sober maybe the bus will end up at the destination instead of crashed in a ditch.

[Cuchulainn]

And what, exactly, will happen to a driver if found by the GPS to be speeding?

Absolutely nothing, that's what.

[Why ask]

GPS so the driver doesn't get lost, after his tipple break, half-way thru the journey, no doubt.

Edit: Forget GPS.... that's years old... what about tachometers? ........... a new word for the Thai dictionary!

Edited February 7, 2014 by Why ask

[buhi]

I recently travelled on one of these buses and it was the most pleasant ride ever, the driver well aware of being tracked and keeping a steady speed all the way.

[LuckyLew]

great ... now please add breaks and licensed drivers

[farangUSA]

Budda seems pleased with this offering near Saraburi last year.

The temptation to play with the new GPS maybe a real distraction.

[farmerjo]

A speedo that worked would be nice

Dont mind the buses,really.

[aguy30]

GPS so the driver doesn't get lost, after his tipple break, half-way thru the journey, no doubt.

Edit: Forget GPS.... that's years old... what about tachometers? ........... a new word for the Thai dictionary!

Are you sure about tachometers? Maybe you meant a governor. BTW, tachometers have been measuring RPM for almost two hundreds.

Edited February 7, 2014 by aguy30

[ColinChapman]

I think he means "tachograph".

[ColinChapman]

Double post removed.

Edited February 8, 2014 by ColinChapman

[slipperylobster]

Approved.

Next step....drug testing.

Breathalizer before and after each trip.

I like it.

[eddie61]

I think this is a really positive step, and hope that in the future, every passenger van and truck has the devices.

The only other issue, is to know who is driving at the time and for how long. Technologically, even Thailand could manage that.

I am sure that driver fatigue is a big issue in many accidents.

And finally, there is the big issue in which Thailand is proven to be incapable: enforcement of existing laws.

[Carl64]

GPS so the driver doesn't get lost, after his tipple break, half-way thru the journey, no doubt.

Edit: Forget GPS.... that's years old... what about tachometers? ........... a new word for the Thai dictionary!

It's not that type of GPS. This unit tracks the speed and operating systems of the bus. You can track stops, opening doors, speed, accelerator pressure, braking or pretty much anything that moves on the bus/truck. It's used throughout the world with great success. It can make sure drivers are not speeding and taking required breaks. All of this information is stored and can be referred to in an accident investigation.

It's so refreshing that something has actually been done and not just talking about it. This is a great first step. Well done!