Dubai Transport is the Pride of the City

Situation
Dubai Transport Corporation (DTC) was established in 1994 by Decree of H.H. the Ruler of Dubai as a Dubai Government owned Commercial Company responsible for providing taxi services to the Emirate of Dubai.

At the time Dubai Transport was established the quality of existing taxis was unacceptable in a city that wished to present itself as a preferred destination for business and leisure travellers. Since then the image of Dubai to the visitor and the efforts of Dubai Transport must be considered as a factor in the development of the city as a preferred destination.

Dubai Transport's objectives were to deliver a high-quality and high performance taxi service that will reflect positively on the city of Dubai.

Solution
Prior to the commencement of the commercial operation Raywood Communications (Raywood) was selected as the supplier of the GPS dispatch and fleet management system after a rigorous selection process.

"Raywood has been closely involved in the design, specification, implementation, training and ongoing support of Dubai Transport. We have learnt a tremendous amount about technology and taxi operations from the Raywood staff" said Mr. Khalid Hashim, Executive Director of DTC

Raywood is a pioneer in computerised, GPS dispatch technology for the taxi industry. Their sophisticated dispatch solution uses GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites to track the location of vehicles and locate the closest vehicle to the customer, and complex algorithms to dispatch jobs efficiently over a private radio network. This innovative solution increases call centre efficiency, driver income, customer satisfaction and ultimately increases income for the company.

Raywood offers a variety of dispatch solutions, including simple plotting systems, a combination of plotting and GPS dispatch and full GPS. In a full GPS dispatch solution, the system automatically selects the taxi for the job using GPS co-ordinates to determine the closest car to the customer. Other conditions can also be taken into account, including the amount of time that the car has been vacant, and the conditions required by the customer for example, a station wagon or language spoken by the driver. Raywood's full GPS dispatch algorithms find a balance between fairness to drivers in quiet periods of the day and true optimisation of the fleet during the busy periods.

In 1995, DTC's fleet operations began with approximately 100 taxis using simple voice dispatch. This solution quickly progressed into a full GPS dispatch solution within the first year of operation, and became one of the first systems in the world to utilise the GPS satellites to track their fleet of taxis. The fleet quickly grew so that in just three years DTC were running a fleet of 2,500 cars. "This incredibly quick growth in such a short period of time is a testament to the flexibility and scalability of the Raywood solution" said Mr. Hashim.

The dispatch solution is delivered by a private mobile radio (PMR) network which covers the entire metropolitan area of Dubai.

The operation of the Dubai Transport Corporation operation is unique amongst taxi companies. All DTC drivers are paid employees of the company. This created a demand for a range of features not normally within the scope of a dispatch system. Raywood worked closely with DTC to define, develop and deploy the necessary enhancements to the dispatch solution.

The system now, in addition to dispatching work to taxis, is an integral part of the Dubai Transport Corporation management resources. It provides detailed information on driver attendance, vehicle usage and income. Data is collected at shift start, every time the taximeter is started and stopped and at shift end to provide comprehensive reports on driver activity, vehicle usage and income. Individual reports are combined into a consolidated report for each shift. Additionally, driver and vehicle databases are maintained and assignment of vehicles to drivers is closely controlled by "handshaking" procedures at shift start.

The in-vehicle equipment is fully integrated with the vehicle electronics and the MDT provides Taximeter facilities, including Flag Fall based on time and location, distance calculated fares, Waiting Time and Extras.

"Raywood was very flexible in the way they enhanced the system to suit our unique requirements. Plus their support has never wavered over the nine years that we have done business with them" added Mr. Hashim.

The initial operating requirements of Dubai Transport Corporation have evolved to accommodate the changes within the city and other demands. Raywood maintains a very close relationship with Dubai Transport to provide prompt response to requests for change. For a fleet of 2,500 vehicles to undergo amendments to software could be a major task but Raywood's ability to update MDT software over-the-air eliminates the requirement to recall the fleet for changes. New enhancements are sent to the vehicles and automatically updated during the next idle period. "This ability is incredibly important for a large fleet and especially in the taxi industry where time off the road means a reduction in income" said Mr. Hashim.

Outcome
Dubai Transport has come a long way since it first started with a fleet of 100 taxis. By the end of 1998, DTC had acquired more than 2,500 gleaming new taxis. This growth is mirrored by the rapid development of Dubai over the same period. DTC is now the pride of the city. It transports over 1.7 million passengers every month and has an infrastructure that's second to none.

Dubai Transport Corporation continues to advance the dispatch solution, in line with market demands and has introduced a number of services to provide easier access for customers. These have been integrated with the core Raywood dispatch solution and include Public Booking Terminals in Health Centres and Hospitals, on-line internet booking for corporate customers and integrated voice response (IVR). "These elements have continued to extend the base Raywood solution and have helped DTC to grow. The Raywood dispatch platform provides a solid foundation for any future growth" said Mr. Hashim.

The progress of any modern metropolis is largely dependent on the efficiency of its transport system. Dubai Transport, in record time, has achieved the major objectives it had set for itself at the beginning of the journey. Today, Dubai Transport enjoys a distinguished record of quality service and exemplary performance and can be easily compared to the finest transportation systems anywhere in the world. Raywood was instrumental in DTC becoming the pride of the city in record time.

For more information
For more information about Raywood computerised GPS job dispatch solutions visit http://www.raywoodcomms.com.au.

For more information on Dubai Transport Corporation visit http://www.dubaitransport.gov.ae.

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