A solution to monitor traffic via smartphones is being considered for 2016, but many Vietnamese doubt the solution is feasible.

 

Khuat Viet Hung, deputy chair of the National Traffic Safety Commission, said the police would be able to monitor traffic online and provide information about the traffic situation to people via the internet and smartphones.

Hung said there were 130 million smartphone simcards in circulation, while another mobile devices can also have simcards attached. 

If smartphone subscribers installed the app on traffic monitoring, the police would be able to collect raw information about the state of traffic. In return, the subscribers would receive the information they need.

Hung said the application would facilitate both users and state management agencies. 

It would help reflect the real status of traffic and show traffic speed and problems that occur in circulation, which helps management agencies make adjustments. 

Meanwhile, smartphone users would only need to make simple operations with their smartphones to find the optimal itinerary.

Hoang Giang, a senior executive at Viettel Telecom, one of the three biggest mobile network operators, said the digital map software would be installed on their smartphones to search for information without having to pay fees to network operators. 

Hung said in large cities in China and Germany, 8,000-20,000 smartphone subscribers use the app to monitor traffic.

Viettel has 50 million smartphone subscribers. As such, if 10 percent of Viettel’s subscribers connected their devices with the traffic monitoring center, this would be enough for management agencies to understand the traffic situation.

Regarding the public’s concern that users’ private information would become exposed after their mobile devices are connected to the traffic monitoring agency, Giang from Viettel, which works with the National Traffic Safety Committee in implementing the project, said there would be no need to worry about this.

“The information Viettel collects from its customers for processing is just information about the traffic situation, such as vehicle speed and the direction followed by the majority of vehicles. It does not process personal information,” he said.

Giang emphasized that under current laws, mobile networks operators are not allowed to provide customer information to third parties without permission from appropriate agencies. And Viettel has always respected the law, even if it does not implement the traffic monitoring project.

“Even if the traffic monitoring system is hacked, there will be no information stolen,” he said.

However, the solution suggested by Viettel has not been applauded by the public.

Dr. Pham Sanh, a traffic expert, said the solution was not feasible. If smartphone subscribers turned off their devices, management agencies would not have information to process.

Meanwhile, a lawyer noted that monitoring people’s travel would be considered illegal.

Buu Dien