GPS tracking to be part of Thailand's transport services

BANGKOK, July 20 (TNA) -The Thai Ministry of Transport plans to install the real time global positioning system (GPS) tracking at all public transport systems, including public buses, trucks and taxis. Sanit Promwong, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Land Transport, and Colonel Sappachai Huwanant, President of CAT Telecom Public Company Limited (CAT), on Thursday signed an agreement on the cooperation to jointly develop an advanced information communication technology (ICT) to enhance the efficiency of the GPS tracking before installing it in the public transport systems in the country. The chief of the Department of Land Transport said his department has set a target to install the real time GPS tracking at trucks and public buses in the country, which will connect with its central GPS management system. Besides, his department will also train concerned personnel to become specialists in handling the GPS tracking. According to the senior official, the new measure, which will also be applied to the Taxi OK and the Taxi VIP programs in line with the Thai government's digital economy policy, is aimed to boost road and public safety and people's confidence in the country's public transport services. The senior official told journalists that the new measure will be launched as of early next month. (TNA)