Commuters who use PPVs to get a “new weapon” with the Travel Pal app

Transport and Mines Minister Robert Montague said the “Travel Pal” app is in the final stages of completion for deployment shortly.

The application, which must be launched by the Transport Authority (TA), is a security mechanism. It will give commuters the tools to make their journeys safer by allowing them to use their mobile devices to scan the license plates of units used as public passenger vehicles (PPV), to verify if they are authorized by the transport authority.

Speaking at the award ceremony for a driving simulator donated by the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) to St Mary’s High School on December 15, at the school’s location in Highgate, Montague noted in particular that it would offer some protection to women and students who use the transit system.

“We are now putting a new weapon in their hands. It is an application on a smartphone which will give your position… You enter the vehicle’s registration number and you will know if it is a taxi registered with a permit or if the registration plate is stolen ”, he explained.

Detailing the design of the app, Montague said it allows commuters to send the license plates of the particular PPV to pre-programmed numbers. The app will also provide information about the specific location and expected time of arrival at the destination.

“Once you [enter] the vehicle, it will trigger two phone numbers that you have pre-programmed to inform the person that you are in that vehicle and the [specific] the location and your estimated time of arrival so that if something goes wrong and you don’t arrive, someone is already monitoring your movement, ”he said.
Montague has indicated that the app will have a panic feature linked to the Police’s System 119.

He also said that a memorandum of understanding was to be signed with the Jamaican Police Force (JCF) as part of the initiative.

The initiative is part of the ministry’s 16-point plan to reform the public transport system.

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