Nadiem Makarim started Go-Jek, an on-demand motorcycle taxi service that can help users more quickly and reliably navigate the traffic-clogged streets of Jakarta than by taking a regular taxi. An ojek, or motorcycle taxi, can be booked by calling or sending an SMS. In return, an SMS confirmation is sent with a detailed description of fare, expected wait time and driver name. In addition, the service has produced economics of scope. A popular and unexpected use of the service is for commercial deliveries especially wedding invitations, which are traditionally hand-delivered rather than mailed.
(Real-time) operator services Figure 1.14 | Fleet management systems from (left) analog taxi paper logs in Kuala Lumpur to (right) digital vehicle tracking in Dhaka (Author’s fieldwork, July/August 2011)
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(Real-Time) Operator Services!
Anthony Tan and Hooi Ling Tan created MyTeksi, an on-demand platform for taxi operators in Kuala Lumpur to reduce the unsafe conditions for women in taxis. To do so, they built a smartphone-based platform for tracking a taxi fleet, replacing the largely paper-based system that is in use today. These fleet management technologies have been also pioneered in Dhaka by Arup Chakti and his team at NITS, who designed custom hardware to track delivery trucks which were often stolen for their prized cargo.
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