Home » DRIVER PH launched to evaluate truck driver competency

DRIVER PH launched to evaluate truck driver competency

Written By Louie Diangson
Published • March 8th, 2021
Cars & TransportationNews
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The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) together with the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) and Quicktrans Cargo Moving, Inc. officially inked the research collaboration agreement to develop software and hardware solutions to train and evaluate Filipino truck drivers using IoT, the DRIVER PH project.

The project is titled ‘Drivers Roadworthiness Improvement Verification Education and Readiness for the Philippine Logistics Industry or DRIVER PH.’ and seeks to minimize road accidents by analyzing and evaluating truck drivers’ competence on the road.

It will combine information communication technology (ICT) solutions to monitor and record the driving attitude of drivers such as their sudden acceleration, stopping, swerving, and turning. It will also determine the degree of driving knowledge of drivers through a gamified assessment with emphasis on technical driving and vehicle roadworthiness know-how. The gathered data will be sent to a cloud to be processed using artificial intelligence and data analytics. A simplified dashboard that reports the fleet and up to individual driver reports will be accessible through a web and phone app by trucking operators.

DRIVER PH will also have a learning platform that will create suggestions on what to improve, what to maintain in practice, and what other things are needed to be learned as aided by artificial intelligence and data analytics in every trip made.

Engr. Felizardo C. Reyes, DRIVER PH project leader, said that they are currently working on the learning modules, webinars, and other materials for the learning platform. Driving rules and regulations, laws, and road courtesy materials will also be available to allow drivers to learn at their own pace. The platform will also have a special function where operators and company headquarters can supervise the progress of their drivers.

“The same solution can be adopted in different transport sectors such as bus transport, jeepneys, taxis, TNVS, and hopefully even tricycles depending on the result and progress that it will impact in the trucking industry”, said Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, executive director of the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).

DRIVER PH is a one-year project funded by the DOST-Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE), one of the programs under the Science for Change Program (S4CP), which is being monitored by DOST- PCIEERD to be adopted hereafter by Quicktrans Cargo Moving, Inc.

According to Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Accident Reporting and Analysis System in 2019, truck accidents comprise 15.33% of total road accidents with 98 deaths in the country.