This past Sunday, the Department of Public Safety officially launched its website and texting service for its GPS tracking system. In an interview with the Justice, Head Coordinator of Operations for the Department of Public Safety's Escort Safety Service and Executive Senator for the Student Union Abraham Berin '11 explained that the service will be used for tracking the the Daytime Campus, the Daytime Waltham and Boston/Cambridge Crystal Shuttles in real time.The service, which is known as Bus Line Information Program, or Blirp-It, consists of a website that lists locations of the shuttles given by GPS units installed on the vehicles. The website also provides the predicted times of arrival for shuttles at their next stops, information which students can opt to have sent to them via text message.

According to Berin, the website has been functioning properly since its release to the student body on March 27.

"The site has been running pretty well," said Berin. "Anybody who logs onto the website can see exactly where the buses are at any time that they're running."

In an e-mail to the Justice, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan wrote, "the service has been running very smoothly so far. When the buses are active, the GPS website demonstrates the accurate locations of the shuttles." However, Callahan also wrote that "the texting feature has some minor inaccuracies during peak traffic hours and this is being developed further." Berin said that the text message service is still undergoing testing and is working "95 to 99 percent of the time."

According to Berin, the main problem with the texting service is the inability for the system to detect when the shuttles are delayed by traffic during peak hours, which creates inaccuracies in the arrival time. The system cannot tell when the shuttles are in traffic until it notices that the speeds of the shuttles are lower than usual. However, Berin said that the website's information on the shuttles' location is always accurate.

According to Berin, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of University Services and Blirp-It are working on the texting feature and looking for ways to ensure that traffic issues do not distort the information that is provided to students via text. Berin says he expects the service to improve "little by little every day."

"Most of the functionality is there," said Berin. "It's just making sure that it works flawlessly."

Berin said that the feedback he has received from the student body since the launch has been very positive and that the Student Union has ordered carabiners and pens that bear the website's URL to distribute in order to promote the service. In addition, an e-mail will be sent to the undergraduate student body from Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 in the near future.

"The service will provide peace of mind to students using our shuttle transportation options," wrote Callahan.