How we make GrabMaps better with KartaDongle, our smart car device

Reducing delays in pickups and drop-offs

Pickups and drop-offs are a particularly important factor. 

We understand that when driver-partners can’t locate the right pickup points, users get frustrated.  When pickup points have multiple entrances and exits—think condos, shopping centres, car parks—GrabMaps may not yet have updated information on all these points. 

(Read more: Malls are a maze, so we started mapping indoors to help driver-partners find their way)

Mapping  Meeting Points manually is time-consuming, but KartaDongle can automate the process. Our team has run promising experiments to partially automate the creation of digitised map information from high-quality KartaDongle data—leading to more complete maps in less time.

Making rides safer and more efficient

KartaDongle’s data contributions enhance the user experience during the ride itself as well. One application that we’re experimenting with, thanks to KartaDongle, is adding missing U-turn links in GrabMaps. When dual carriageways are modelled on the map, in-phone GPS data often lacks the accuracy to pinpoint areas where drivers can perform a U-turn. This results in longer trip distances that potentially translate to higher costs for passengers.

However, the KartaDongle has a higher level of positional accuracy than an in-phone GPS, and thus can better detect missing U-turn locations. Adding these missing links to GrabMaps will help driver-partners chart a more efficient route. This improved user experience also encompasses ride safety. The KartaDongle detects telematics safety data, such as collisions, hard braking, and speeding. By evaluating this data, Grab can help reduce unsafe driving habits, reduce the likelihood of incidents and create safer rides for both drivers and passengers.

At the same time, we ensure compliance with data privacy acts across the region. Data collected by the KartaDongle is anonymised and only used for its intended purposes.

Bringing the KartaDongle to Southeast Asia

We’ve since rolled out the KartaDongle to a selected set of driver-partners in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

In addition to improving GrabMaps’ overall accuracy, having the KartaDongle in rental fleets also enables us to gather location data to improve fleet management and the process of deploying vehicles. Finding more efficiency contributes to fleet cost savings and boosts the earnings of our driver-partners.

Looking beyond GrabRentals, we believe the regular GrabCars and GrabBikes experience can be enhanced by encouraging driver-partners to embed the KartaDongle in their vehicles.