GPS Tracking On Public Transport Started, Free Installation In The First Phase

Nepal has started implementing the Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking to effectively manage public vehicles and mitigate accidents in Nepal. GPS enables the satellite-based navigation system to find out the position of an object in the ground.

So, recently the Department of Transportation has announced the launch of GPS devices in public transport which is for free for select vehicles. According to the information, GPS Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) has been developed for which IoT Sensor for GPS is being installed in public vehicles.

The chief director of the department, Gogan Bahadur Hamal, states that they are conducting the work with the goal of embedding GPS on all the public vehicles throughout the country. The IoT sensor for GPS in public vehicles will be carried out within the ongoing financial year.

Once its installation process completely finishes, the GPS will monitor public transport traveling within or outside the Kathmandu valley. Along with that, it will ensure the traffic safety of the vehicle operators.

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The department itself is going to test the first two to three hundred vehicles. The department has collaborated with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the rest of the work.

GPS Implementation Process

In the first phase, the department is going to select a few routes. Then, it will monitor the implementation of the GPS system in those routes. Only after that, GPS devices will be connected to 100 vehicles on main routes like:

• Kathmandu-Birgunj road section
• Kathmandu-Janakpur road section
• Kathmandu-Pokhara road section

According to the department, they will install GPS devices free of cost in all the vehicles in the first phase of the study.

Process of registration

The department has already called out for the registration process to get a free GPS device connection. It is only applicable for the vehicle operators who drive in the said routes. For that, they have to register with the department soon.

Simultaneously, the documents required for the registration process include:

• Relevant transport business certificate
• Vehicle registration certificate
• Driver’s license
• Nepali citizenship 

This is the department’s first phase of GPS installation. Therefore, interested vehicle operators who drive vehicles in the above-mentioned routes can register with the department to get a free installment of the GPS system.

Purpose of GPS tracking in Vehicles

The main purpose behind the installment of GPS is to get information about the speed, position, and location of the vehicle. For the surveillance of public vehicles around the city, the GPS method is very important. Hamal ensures that the accidents will eventually decrease in our country after the equipping of the GPS method.

The major cause of accidents is the high speed of vehicles. So, whenever any public vehicle speeds up, a message is immediately sent to the driver as a warning to slow down. This not only provides good surveillance to the vehicles but also brings a change in the behavior of the driver. Also, if the driver doesn’t perform as they were told to, an investigation will be done.

GPS makes it easy for the people

Besides, passengers can also benefit from GPS because they can track public vehicles around them. According to their route and destination, passengers can book tickets for the vehicle. They can also find out the position and location of the vehicle.

The IoT (Internet of things) device with a GPS sensor is embedded in the Public Vehicle. Thus, it sends data regarding their location, speed, and position to the respected server. The Server can then process some data from the IoT devices and bring forth the analyzed information. Through this, passengers can find public vehicles available around them. They can also know how long to wait to get one because they can track the vehicles’ movement. This makes commuting to places easier and faster. 

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Some of the schools, colleges, and Transport companies have already adopted the GPS method to keep track of their vehicles for their monitoring and safety. We can still find that GPS vehicle tracking is in limited use here in Nepal. But soon all the public vehicles around the city will have GPS tracking available. It can also control accidents, vehicle theft, and other crimes committed with the vehicles.

Before Sajha Yatayat had also launched the bus tracking functionality which was known to be based on the GPS in the driver’s smartphone. The Mero Sajha app was anticipated to feature all the public buses and their position but it is still quite limited. There is also a similar application called Letz Go, developed by Ram Laxman brothers. We can hope for a plethora of features after the installation of the IoT device with a GPS sensor in the Public buses.

What do you think about the ongoing process of installation of the GPS tracking system in public vehicles according to the government of Nepal? Please let us know in the comments below.