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Published on February 5, 2008

Instead, passengers will able to know exactly when the bus will arrive and where it will go, thanks to global positioning system (GPS) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies.

Santi Suraratana, an RFID expert at the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa), said the agency had signed a memorandum of understanding between BMTA and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang to incorporate GPS and RFID into to buses.

The dual technologies will track the vehicles from the depot to the destination, sending information such as time and location to headquarters and the bus stops. The control room will know the traffic situation the bus is facing. Passengers will be able to call the control centre for information about the bus they plan to take before they leave home, and thereby arrive at the bus stop on time.

Meanwhile, passengers at the bus stops will get information about arrival times from a nearby billboard, along with an estimate of the travel time to their destination.

"The new technologies will have important roles for passengers and the administration system since they will be able to know traffic information from the bus as it travels," said Santi.

He said cooperation is being negotiated with a bus line to pilot the project before it expands to cover other bus lines.

He said the agency is also studying RFID technology to track the supply chain of tapioca starting from buyer, tapioca manufacturers through to exporters. The initiative expects to start utilising RFID this year.

"We created the pilot project to develop new technology to support industry, business, logistics and government and private sectors to reduce error, increase accuracy of information and enhance productivity in supply chains. As a result, we will enhance the performance of business and supply chains," said Santi.

Last year the agency also completed the Roi-Kaen Sarn pilot to implement RFID to track jasmine rice through its supply chain.

"The RFID technology is important for business and supply-chain management since it can transfer information between the various parties in the chain without using paper. The technology can send information along the chain and the details can be checked in real time.

Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation