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
