DBKL: App getting positive response and will be expanded
The Transport Management Centre in Bukit Jalil where Itis is housed. The RM2.9mil for the eDrive app includes training Itis staff to transfer the necessary skills so that they know how the app works. — filepic
THE eDrive app has received positive reviews since it was introduced and is a useful tool for Kuala Lumpur city folk, said the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Road users who have benefitted from it are now asking the local authority to add more features to the app.
DBKL project management executive director Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah said the RM2.9mil app that was linked to the Integrated Transportation Information System (Itis) now had 3,365 users since it was made available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store for download.
Users use the app mainly to check on traffic situations and plan their journey accordingly.
“We received positive response so far. We will do an official launch once the system is stable,” he said.
image: http://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/online/2017/09/17/20/31/metd_wpdrive080917_180917p3_su_2.ashx?h=413&&w=620&la=en
Mahadi says eDrive will be improved and proposals will be studied to see if they are within the capability of the current system.
He also said they were targeting between 200,000 and 300,000 users based on its current capability.
The app, he said, was important as traffic information was directly linked to the smartphone.
“It is supervised by us to provide the latest official traffic information in Kuala Lumpur,” he said in an interview with StarMetro.
He said the contract for the app developer, Janasys Sdn Bhd, was awarded through open tender and it was not merely for developing the app.
“The contract to start developing the app was from Feb 2 last year to Jan 14 this year.
“The defect and liability period is for a year between Jan 15 this year and Jan 14 next year while the maintenance period is from Jan 15 next year to January 14, 2019,” he said.
Mahadi also said that the overall cost included improving the app, but it depended on what kind of improvements were to be done.
“If it is beyond the scope of the contract, then we would have to pay additional fee,” he said, defending the app which had earlier received public criticism, especially on its cost.
He said the app developers had to conduct a lot of coordination between two other contractors, including Vads Lyfe to ensure the app ran well for the benefit of city folk.
He added that the RM2.9mil included the app developer training Itis staff to transfer the necessary skills so that they would know how the app worked.
At the end of the current contract with the app developer in 2019, he said they would have an open tender again for a maintenance contract.
One of the features in the app is the Parking Guidance Information System for 14 malls, including Suria KLCC, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Low Yat Plaza and Maju Junction.
On proposals from the public to add more features for the app, Mahadi said they would study the requests to see if the features could fit with the current system.
He also said they received feedback from users to include information such as dengue hotspots, Air Pollutant Index and major events in Kuala Lumpur.
“We also received feedback to link up CCTVs in Putrajaya to the app to expand its area of coverage,” he said.
image: http://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/online/2017/09/17/20/31/metd_wpdrive080917_180917p3_su_1pdf.ashx?h=466&w=300&la=en
There were mixed reviews of the app from users on Google Play store and a rating of 2.8 at press time.
Mahadi said currently the app provided a 5km radius of Variable Message Sign (VMS) and CCTV view of 40 locations.
“However, the app was developed to be able to also take in feeds from another 1,000 moveable CCTVs available via Itis and we may include that later,” he said.
Recently, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng slammed DBKL over the development of the eDrive app as it was a non-navigational tool.
He pointed out that there were already traffic and navigation apps available such as Waze and Google Maps, hence the app was redundant and a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Lim asked MACC to investigate if the eDrive contract was done through an open tender and if there was any element of corruption in the deal.
Lim was referring to a StarMetro article in July that DBKL spent RM198mil to maintain and rent the cameras and CCTV for six years for the Itis system, in which the appointed contractor was VADS Lyfe (formerly known as GTC Global Sdn Bhd).
It was reported that the app featured real-time images of certain roads from 40 stationary cameras and people could use it to see roads with heavy traffic.
image: http://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/online/2017/09/18/02/35/apps.ashx?h=414&w=620&la=en
Kuala Lumpur City Hall is targeting between 200,000 and 300,000 users for the eDrive app based on its current capability. — P. NATHAN/The Star
Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2017/09/18/dbkl-app-getting-positive-response-and-will-be-expanded-users-asking-for-more-features-such-as-dengu/#P8pbkPdLuReV2j26.99
