B’SMART Contributes Tech Solutions for COVID-19 Global Fight

Many countries worldwide have started easing their strict movement control orders (MCO) due to the COVID-19 pandemic but various features of the pandemic life will continue to stay and unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Wearing a face mask and practising social distancing will be part of the world’s new normal measures, at least until a vaccine against COVID-19 is developed.

As part of the ‘new normal’ initiatives, companies and organisations have worked together with the frontliners to track and contain the spread of the coronavirus. Emerging technologies are being deployed by governments across the world to help combat the outbreak.

In supporting the Malaysian made #kitajagakita initiative, Malaysian companies are encouraged to take the opportunities arising from COVID-19 pandemic to leverage on innovation and technology adoption, including focusing on safeguarding potential national security issues by depending too much on foreign solutions.

BSMART Company 

BSMART System Solutions Sdn. Bhd. is a wholly-owned Malaysian company incorporated in 2013 providing Internet of Things (IoT) telematics services and solutions. BSMART invented the Front End Intelligence (FEI) Technology that revolutionises telematics solutions from a responsive stand-alone tracking system into an integrated system that enable real-time interactives, intelligent and eventdriven transport management that monitor, communicate, evaluate and respond to event dynamically.

BSMART involves heavily in local research and development (R&D) with homegrown technology. Their technical team has vast experience in designing and customising BSMART products and services.

One of the company’s main project is the contract to supply the regional electronic cargo tracking system (RECTS) for implementation at the port of Mombasa, Kenya, to be used by the Kenya Port Authority (KPA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Revenue Authority. The implementation of the tracking system will allow the officials to monitor the completion of cargo transportation from the port of Mombasa, Kenya, and the cargo transfer to Uganda and Rwanda.

How BSMART Product Help during the Pandemic? 

As a new measure adopted to further combat the spread of COVID-19 at Uganda’s borders, all truck drivers driving into Uganda are required to present themselves to the Ministry of Health officials for testing.

On 12 April 2020, a truck driver enroute to Southern Sudan went through the same procedure before getting clearance by immigrations and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to proceed with his journey.

24 hours after the test was done, the results came back and one of the drivers was tested positive. The URA Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) was used to trace the actual movement of the driver from Malaba OSBP up to Corner Kamdini Customs Checkpoint where he was intercepted.

RECTS utilises the Global Positioning System (GPS) to trace the movement of trucks from their point of entry into a country right up to the point of exit. This is to curb cargo dumping and other associated risks along the trade routes.

The monitoring activities further provided information to Uganda’s National COVID-19 Taskforce on what is happening at the borders in terms of whether people are practising and adhering to the medical guidelines issued such as social distancing, washing and sanitising their hands as well as who is sneaking into the country.

The Taskforce together with URA management further discussed on utilising the tracking system to ensure the safety of the truck drivers in a bid to combat the spread of the virus.

The use of emerging technology will also benefit Malaysia in tracking the potential spread of COVID-19 that could arise after the conditional movement control order (CMCO) is being lifted and followed by the reopening of more economic sectors.

Mobile APPS – Driver Health

During the COVID-19 outbreak, Driver Health Apps has been enhanced to include driver’s health information for the Kenya National COVID-19 Taskforce references. The application is designed to reflect critical information such as driver’s health details, sanitary and phytosanitary activities that can be easily uploaded during the en-route of the cargo transfer. The information will be stored online and can be accessed by health, immigration, customs and security officials at the designated areas to verify their identity, status and perform driver’s inspection while in transit. It will also enable the authorities to decide the relevant standard operating procedures (SOP) to be used at the designated point.