P-A-T-H

New Car-Pool Implementation Platform for Thailand

Mr. Punyawee Posri

Bachelor’s degree of Engineering and Technology Management

- International College-
KING MONGKUTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY LADKRABANG
ACADEMIC YEAR 2019

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 COPYRIGHT 2019
INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
KING MONGKUT’S INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY LADKRABANG

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Thesis - Academic Year 2019
Bachelor’s degree of Engineering and Technology Management (IT TRACK)
International College
King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
Title: PATH
Authors: Mr. Punyawee Posri 60090057

Approved by submission
............................................
(Asst. Prof. Dr. Veera Boonjing)
Advisor
Date: ........................................

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 Abstract
The traffic jam of transportation system in Thailand is getting worse every year. With the increase number

of the cars without limitation. But that's not the fault of Thai people who decided to buy their own cars.

Because in our daily life, the public transportation in Thailand is bad enough to make Thai people move

their budget to buy their own car by several reasons. For example, the bus is not come on time as it should

be, taxi rejected the customer’s request and the lack of safe environment along the trip on the bus and at

the bus station. As the example above are the fact that Thai people found every day and that's not only

happens with the bus and taxi in Thailand. So, the decision of Thai people to buy their own car is

soundness by the way. If you have a question that “Does the previous transportation platform such as

GRAB and UBER can be the solution for this problem instead of buying a new car?” The answer is NO.

Because almost of the passengers who use the GRAB and UBER platform are came from the customers

of taxi services. The problem is the conflict between taxi driver and these platforms that makes the GRAB

and UBER unsafe include the passengers too. Moreover, the passengers who requested for the GRAB or

UBER need to wait for the car to pick them up. And that's mean the waste in time and cause the time to be

uncontrollable problem to plan the trip. The method concept for this project make the matching travel trip

with starting point, travelling pathway, destination point and the time. That's look like friends join the trip

together to the similar destination.

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 Acknowledgments
First, this thesis could not be completed if I do not have an opportunity with very great advices

and dedicated time from my advisor Asst. Prof. Dr. Veera Boonjing. I would not have done this version of

thesis without the support and advices from him. Moreover, thanks for knowledge, suggestion, and

comments from Dr. Primprapai Thainiam that help me pass through the mistake and complete this version

of thesis document.

Finally, I truly thankful to an acknowledge from my parents that they give me their supports until

now in the whole project procedure.

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Table of Contents
Abstract 4
Acknowledgments 5
Table of Contents 6
List of Tables 8
List of Figures 9
Chapter 1 10
Introduction 10
1.1 Motivation 10
1.2 Objective 11
1.3 Scope of Problem 11
1.4 Thesis Structure 11
Chapter 2 12
Literature Reviews 12
2.1 GRAB 12
2.2 UBER 13
2.3 LYFT 14
Chapter 3 15
Feasibility Study 15
3.1 Market Feasibility Study 15
3.2 Technical Feasibility Study 15
3.3 Management Feasibility Study 16
3.4 Financial Feasibility Study 16
Chapter 4 17
Methodology 17
4.1 Auto Decision System 17
4.2 Fair Price Calculation System 17
Chapter 5 18
Software Design 18
5.1 System Requirements 18
5.2 Use cases 19
5.3 Others Diagram 22
5.4 System overview architecture 25

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5.5 Database structure 27
Chapter 6 30
Experimental 30
6.1 Web Application Experimental 30
6.1.1 Login Page 30
6.1.2 All Main Page 31
Chapter 7 36
Conclusion 36
7.1 Summary of Thesis Achievements 36
7.2 Problems and obstacles 36
References 38

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 List of Tables

Table 5.1 Database structure of Customer Account 27

Table 5.2 Database structure of Driver Account 27
Table 5.3 Database structure of Join Lists 28
Table 5.4 Database structure of Maps Marker 28
Table 5.5 Database structure of ‘On the Way’ driver 28
Table 5.6 Database structure of Park Zone 29
Table 5.7 Database structure of Travel log 29
Table 6.1 All main page features structure part 1 31
Table 6.2 All main page features structure part 2 32
Table 6.3 All main page features structure part 3 33
Table 6.4 All main page features structure part 4 34
Table 6.5 All main page features structure part 5 35

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 List of Figures
Figure 2.1 Grab platform 12
Figure 2.2 Uber platform 13
Figure 2.3 Lyft platform 14
Figure 4.1 Fair price calculation algorithm 17
Figure 5.1 Use case diagram 19
Figure 5.2 Context diagram 22
Figure 5.3 DFD diagram trip booking 23
Figure 5.4 DFD diagram payment process 23
Figure 5.5 Entity relationship diagram 24
Figure 5.6 DFD0 on trip booking as System overview 25
Figure 5.7 Auto pick me display 26
Figure 6.1 Login Page display 30
Figure 6.2 Home Page display 31
Figure 6.3 User input on home page on trip information 31
Figure 6.4 Top three PATH driver of the period 31
Figure 6.5 Input destination on Park Zone page 32
Figure 6.6 Input destination with place search on Park Zone page 32
Figure 6.7 Available Park Zone display out 32
Figure 6.8 Clickable Park Zone to view the driver lists on that Park zone 32
Figure 6.9 Driver list page 33
Figure 6.10 No driver list available, PICK ME option disappear 33
Figure 6.11 Pick Me page, with nearby driver that driving on the road 34
Figure 6.12 Nearest driver lists with fair price calculation 34
Figure 6.13 Confirm booking request 35

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Chapter 1

Introduction

PATH is the new transportation concept that different from another car services in Thailand
and has more functionalities than another travelling services within Thailand too. This
platform concern about the solution to solve a lot of transportation problem in Thailand that
have a trend to be getting worse in every year. Path consist of high improvement design
platform for most user friendly as UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) [1].
Moreover, the process of coordinates is driven by firebase API [2] for the fastest response in
any event from user. In some page are handle with the Artificial Intelligence to recommend
the best option for the user in many options.

1.1 Motivation

One day of my daily routine, I had an idea that my driving trip was run as a routine in each

specific day with the same time and places for car leaving and arriving. In this case it would

create a lot of transportation line by the personal car. So, lots of transportation line means a lot of

options and choices for a passenger. But the great things are time controllable in plan and

schedule. So, the park zone area needs to be assumed as the station too. So, that’s an

implementation that GRAB [3] and UBER [4] don’t have yet.

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1.2 Objective

• Implementation in GRAB and UBER services.

• New Idea in transportation to decrease a bad traffic jam in Thailand.

• Realize the campaign of “Same way same car” of the government [5].

• Increase time controllable in transportation with routine timetable from all drivers.

• Extend the human society that usually stay in the same area and travel to the same

destination.

• Save the environment with less car by the usage of this platform.

1.3 Scope of Problem

• Some passenger doesn’t need any passengers to join the car that they booked first.

• Some passenger doesn’t want to walk to nearby park zone. So, they need the plug in that

work as pick up features.

• Development processes need to run Google maps many times in one minute. So, the

quota for API is limited by Google for free-plan-developer [6].

1.4 Thesis Structure

The thesis content in this report are classified as follows. Chapter 2 is the concept in conclusion

of literature platform or similar application that look like PATH.Chapter3 is a feasible study,

Chapter 4 is a details and concept that used to created and develop this PATH project. Chapter 5

is Software design. Diagram and their information. Chapter 6 is the system test that already

tested. Chapter 7 is project conclusions.

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Chapter 2

Literature Reviews

Before PATH was created, the others similar or another transportation platform was discovered

and looked inside their services first. To ensure that this implementation is not happening before

and this kind of platform are unique and different way from carpooling services [7] too.

2.1 GRAB

Figure 2.1

This service provides a multiple type of taxi services and include shipping services as I see in

their website services. But this service of taxi type is just an additional add in services for PATH

platform in the case of their nearby park zone is far away from their currently location more than

one km.

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2.2 UBER

Figure 2.2

Another service that works like GRAB service. But UBER has more standard of process and

international worldwide more than GRAB. However, both GRAB and UBER just a multi-

function in transportation features but not contains the features that PATH has. Both are ensuring

me that the implementation as PATH concept are not been created by both yet.

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2.3 LYFT

Figure 2.3

This service is look so like this project except the park zone concept and automatic decision for

customers. However, this LYFT [8] platform is not available in Thailand right now. If it is

available, PATH is also focus on Thai people behavior more than the platform from another

country as well.

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Chapter 3

Feasibility Study

3.1 Market Feasibility Study

PATH has opportunities to growth in positive rate more than another platform that stick

around the same concept of select and pick up. This platform contains more than the basically

concept. For example, the routine of travel trip that the user can make a future and control a time

schedule for their life. That’s just one of the uniqueness point that PATH has within the platform.

3.2 Technical Feasibility Study

In technically, PATH has many functions inside, and the backend database target has been

separating clearly with no confused in transactions and procedure logs. Moreover, the platform

has the Google firebase API to act and response to the user event with the shortest time in

retrieve the information. Also, other processes are including with the Google API for the fastest

as possible for save the time for passengers and driver. Even though the AI auto decision and

others algorithm are also created for less consumed in battery used for all user devices.

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3.3 Management Feasibility Study

The management side, this platform is already created the algorithm for simplify the data

analysis process for admin side and the others who needs to analyze the data records.

Furthermore, the management team are always getting the real time notification email and SMS

for any report and the account for the backend team are provided to the dashboard page as well.

3.4 Financial Feasibility Study

Right now, PATH is developed with the one year free from Google with the quota of 40,000

THB of Maps API [9] and 3,000 THB for firebase API [10]. So, the long-term charge from this

platform are cheaper than GRAB and UBER (PATH is 5% cheaper) that are 20-40% charge

prices [11] and the reward claiming with the car components services from the partner in the

future.

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Chapter 4

Methodology
I need to learn and research some method for the main feature of this project. That’s user’s decision

helper and fair price calculation base on distance that Google maps show out the output.

4.1 Auto Decision System

The algorithm to check and select the optimal choices for the customers is embedded in a lot of

parts and many functions is working along with this kind of algorithm too. For example,

Users input the starting point A and destination point B, first, the nearby park zone within one km.

Will show up if those park zone contains the driver travelling from A to B only. But if the park

zone contains no corresponding data then the PICK ME button will show up instead. Or the park

zone not nearby within one km. the PICK ME button also show up too.

4.2 Fair Price Calculation System

The price and distance are calculated as fair price equation [12] as standard formulation. So, it also

decreases the rate for cheaper rate than others competitor’s platform.

17 Figure 4.1
Chapter 5

Software Design

5.1 System Requirements

5.1.1 Functional Requirements

The functional requirements of PATH can be summarized as the list below:

• The system allows a user to input their own starting point or current location.

• The system allows a user to input their own destination point.

• The system allows a user to input their own trip for both date and time.

• The system allows a user to view all the driver in each park zones.

• The system allows a user to view the review from all driver information.

5.1.2 Non-Functional Requirements

The non- functional requirements of PATH can be summarized as the list below:

• The system uses HTML, PHP, JS and CSS

• The system uses Google Maps Direction API to analyze the distance and time

between two coordinates.

• The system uses Google Maps Places API to make an input prediction on location

that user input on start and destination input box.

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 • The system uses Google Maps API to complete all the other Google services.

• The system uses MySQL to manage database.

5.2 Use cases

Figure 5.1

5.2.1 Use case description

Description of "Park zone nearby"

• Previous case: -
• Use case: Park zone nearby
• Actor: User
• Goal: To show the nearby list of park zone base on an area within one km. from the
passenger’s current location.

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Description of "Input trip information"

• Previous case: -
• Use case: Input trip information
• Actor: User
• Goal: To let the passengers input their trip details such as starting, destination, date, time
and adults’ seat. Then the platform will display the list of all available driver that match
and corresponding to that input.

Description of "view driver information"

• Previous case: -
• Use case: view driver information
• Actor: User
• Goal: To see each specific driver details before passengers create their booking request.

Description of "select driver"

• Previous case: -
• Use case: select driver
• Actor: User
• Goal: To select the driver that the passengers decided to join the trip.

Description of "send request"

• Previous case: -
• Use case: send request
• Actor: User
• Goal: To send the request to the driver that has been selected by the passengers.

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Description of "pick me services”

• Previous case: -
• Use case: pick me services
• Actor: User
• Goal: To let the passengers ask for the driver to pick them up and take them to the
destination. Simple as Taxi or GRAB.

Description of "make payment"

• Previous case: -
• Use case: make payment
• Actor: User
• Goal: To charge the price by the cost of trip cost when the passengers selected the driver.

Description of "Accept request"

• Previous case: -
• Use case: Accept request
• Actor: Driver
• Goal: To let the driver accept the request that was created by the passengers

Description of "set flag status”

• Previous case: -
• Use case: set flag status
• Actor: Driver
• Goal: To let the driver show their status that was available or otherwise.

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5.3 Others Diagram

5.3.1 Context Diagram

Diagram for big picture of the system with less details description.

Figure 5.2

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5.3.2 DFD Diagram on Trip Booking

Figure 5.3

5.3.3 DFD Diagram on Payment Process

Figure 5.4

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5.3.4 Entity relationship diagram

Figure 5.5

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5.4 System overview architecture

The architecture of the entire system can be described as shown in Figure 5.6

Figure 5.6

5.4.1 Web Application

The system creates in platform of Web Application first. Because it can handle on every kind of

different users operating system. And that's the reason why the website needs to be a responsive

design. So, I choose the open source template of hotel and travelling site name as “Travelex”

[13] that came with no function and no features inside of its. After that I start to develop, apply

and change the template to the way of transportation services.

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5.4.2 Booking System

The system comes with the matching system for the similar travelling pathway to match both

passengers and driver with the specific time from the passengers that input at the input labels.

Moreover, this system is to recommend the user to choose the drivers option such as “Pick Me”

or “Find nearest park zone”. And corresponding to Thai culture [14] in some cases. For example,

the woman requests the car in midnight time, and the driver and passengers inside the coming

cars are men only. So, the system skips and pick another car for the booking services. At the

booking screen the passengers can view the driver’s rate and past reviews from other passengers

in the past. That's a part of the booking system of PATH.

5.4.3 Pick Me System

This system is the options for all users to call the driver to pick them up at their current location.

This kind of services are look like Grab and Uber, but PATH use the lower cost rate. However,

the system will automatically show the “Pick Me” options if the nearby park zones are far away

from passengers more than one km.

Figure 5.7

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5.5 Database structure

Table 5.1

Table 5.2

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 Table 5.3

Table 5.4

Table 5.5

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 Table 5.6

Table 5.7

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Chapter 6

Experimental
In this chapter six, the running and experimental procedures will be displayed and show up

below as table of the real user’s usage for easier to see the features and the interface of the

platform.

6.1 Web Application Experimental

This experimental comes with the following steps in form of table start from login page until the

end of booking process. That's the real usage for all users if they visit the PATH platform.

6.1.1 Login Page

Figure 6.1

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6.1.2 All Main Page

Table 6.1

Figure 6.2

Figure 6.3

Figure 6.4

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 Table 6.2

Figure 6.5

Figure 6.6

Figure 6.7

Figure 6.8

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 Table 6.3

Figure 6.9

Figure 6.10

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 Table 6.4

Figure 6.11

Figure 6.12

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 Table 6.5

Figure 6.13

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Chapter 7

Conclusion

7.1 Summary of Thesis Achievements

In the day of started developing this PATH project until now, lot of methods and knowledge

have been learning. That's for complete the list of functions that this platform requires to have

inside of its. For example, the Google Maps API, Google Maps Limitation, Maps Marker, On

Click Maps Marker, Google Console, Search Helper API [15], IMAGE Record as blobs [16] in

the databases and a lot of Maps handling. Moreover, the firebase from Google and Flutter from

Google are also learned but the mobile app is not completely yet. And, for the adaptation of

databases into firebase are not enough time to done it one hundred percent too. So, the

knowledge has been learned to be used for next phase development in the future.

7.2 Problems and obstacles

Below is the obstacle from the system testing from start until end of booking steps.

7.2.1 Dataset

Set of data for system testing is not as large amount enough at the first time. So, I created the

page for add the Park Zone easily with just one click. After that, the driver information I

duplicate them at first. Finally, the dataset is normally enough and can use to debug the system

errors. But for the moving driver, I can’t simulate them right now. Because they need to always

move with fast database record and real firebase console. So, I don’t have enough time to apply

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new database language as DB-Mongo to the system. And, I have not applied the pure firebase

database to the system too.

7.2.2 The limitation of API per day

The main cause of delay development process is the limitation of API per day in

google maps. If I run a lot of system testing, the error of limitation will be shown on debug

console and the system will run with stuck at that error.

7.2.3 The free server for system

The free server for system testing is slower than the paid services. I have tried to upload the

system source file to the 000freewebhost then the system run so slowly. That’s different from the

paid server.

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References
1. They Make Design, what is UI design? What is UX design? UI vs UX: What’s the difference.

Available at : https://uxplanet.org/what-is-ui-vs-ux-design-and-the-difference-d9113f6612de

2. Camille Siegel, what is an ape? Available at : https://apifriends.com/api-management/what-

is-an-api/

3. Grab services. Available at: https://www.grab.com

4. Uber services. Available at: https://www.uber.com/

5. Wasana Nanuam, Prayut mulls factory shutdown, mandatory carpools. Available at :

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1620494/prayut-mulls-factory-shutdowns-

mandatory-carpools

6. Google developer console ,free quota. Available at :

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/usage-and-billing

7. What is carpool. Available at : http://actionforclimate.deqp.go.th/?p=6701&lang=en

8. Lyft services. Available at : https://www.lyft.com/

9. Google price console. Available at : https://cloud.google.com/maps-

platform/pricing/sheet/?&sign=0

10. Firebase free plan. Available at : https://firebase.google.com/pricing

11. Vincent Wee, Everything You Need to Know About Grab. Available at :

https://www.techedt.com/2017/01/everything-you-need-to-know-about-grab

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12. Rajaprabhu Aravindasamy, Price Calculation based on the distance covered.

Available at : https://stackoverflow.com/questions/24179939/price-calculation-based-on-the-

distance-covered

13. Best Free Travel Website Templates To Make an Eye-Catching Travel Website. Available at :

https://colorlib.com/wp/free-travel-website-templates/

14. A rough guide to Thai women and Thai society. Available at :

https://www.heycrush.com/blog/rough-guide-thai-women-and-society/

15. Google search assistant. Available at : https://developers.google.com/places/web-

service/search

16. How to upload and retrieve blob image using php. Available at :

http://www.simplylearnprogramming.com/upload-retrive-blob-image-php/32

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