Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE INTRODUCTION Rationale Through technology, people have changed the world.

In the drive to satisfy the needs and work, people have

developed and improved ways to communicate, build structures, make products, cure disease, provide food, and travel. Today, travelling from one place to another has been a daily routine for most of the people. They prefer to go to places and expose themselves to the beauty that the place may offer. Conveyances for public hire are as old as the first ferries, and the earliest form of travelling is the water transport. On land, people walked, sometimes in groups and on pilgrimages or rode on an animal. As technology evolves,

upgrades on most of the things take place. Hi-tech gadgets and innovative inventions are becoming dominant in the

society .With all the technological advancements the world has to offer, it cannot be denied that it also affects the field of travelling technology. Travel technology is increasingly being used to describe system for managing and monitoring travel, including travel

tracking and flight tracking systems. Since travel implies locomotion, travel technology is originally associated with the computer reservations system (CRS) of the airlines

industry, but is now used more inclusively, incorporating the broader tourism sector as well as its subset, the hospitality industry. Since private vehicles double the price on what they would pay for riding public transport vehicles, majority of the mankind composed mostly of employees and students prefer to use public transport as means of transportation for they can afford and access it anytime and anywhere. Today, schedule. public transport operates after a predefined publish

The

researchers

observed

that

operators

timetable written on boards and not as often as it should be. The researchers also observed that passengers especially

tourists and seasoned passengers are cheated in terms of fare rates. Because of this, the researchers arrived to the idea of solving this problem by designing Online Bus Scheduling System that allows travelers view bus schedules, profile of buses and fare rate information even when out of the

terminals.

Online

Bus

Scheduling

System

includes

reservation

feature which helps people to do online reservation of buses for tours and other occasions. A forum page will be added to assist lost and found. It will also allow people to display their comments of about the the condition and bus of the bus, and the other

performance

drivers

staffs,

concerning matter. A route map can be viewed also to guide travelers with the route. The researchers assumed that the online application will help the seasoned passengers maximize the use of time while waiting for a bus to pass through the estimated time duration feature of this system. Review of Related Literature Internet has changed the whole face of travel services. Technology spawned unleashed in a revolution retailing in travel distribution, models and

innovation

and

commercial

broke down the barriers to competition. Information technology is the use of computers and

software to manage information. This would be responsible for storing, protecting, processing the information, transmitting them, and later retrieving information as necessary. In order to perform the complex functions required of information

Database Management System (DBMS) manages

user requests so that users and other programs are free from having to understand where the data is physically -located on storage media and, in a multi-user system, where somebody else may also be accessing the data. In handling user requests, the DBMS ensures the integrity and security of the data. (Simon Christiansen,1999)

Article II Section 24 (Philippine Constitution, 1987)

-------------Article XIV Section 10 (Philippine Constitution, 1987)

Bus Scheduling System Conventional Manual System Online Scheduling System

Design of the Online Bus Scheduling System Performance of the Conventional Manual System over the Online Bus Scheduling System Difference between the manual and Online Bus Scheduling System Acceptability level of the Online Bus Scheduling System

Action Plan Figure 1: Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

technology

departments

today,

the

modern

Information

Technology Department would use computers, servers, database management systems, and cryptography. One of the products and applications of information technology that has been popular and beneficial in the global system is the online viewing of schedules of any means of transportation (Laura Scheneider, 2011). Online scheduling had achieved a huge success in the world of travelling technology. The in manual advances of the

technology have created innovations development. It has turned the

product advertising of

schedules and fares to an online website application, which simply requires an internet connection to view information. Approximately, seventy million consumers researched travel

plans online in July 2006 worldwide. Travel bookings are the single largest component of e-commerce according to Forrester Research. As Bohol Island is loaded with wholesome attractions and activities, many travelers are coming in and out. Bohol is fast becoming one of the top travel destinations in Asia. Tagbilaran City is known to be the center of business capital, governance, education and transportation in the

Province

of

Bohol.

Travelers

to

and

from

Bohol

uses

the

Tagbilaran port as its main mode of entry. The port attends to more or less 5,000 passengers daily coming from

neighboring provinces. Other means of welcoming tourists is the Tagbilaran Airport. Tubigon is the second class

municipality, and also the second largest and busiest port in the province of Bohol. The average daily outgoing and

incoming traffic record for 2004 was 4,400 passengers. Because of the said aspects, Tagbilaran and Tubigon

gained more popularity in the field of tourism and increased the population of travelers around Bohol. Since some of them are strangers to the place, they are not aware on the routes to their chosen destinations and their corresponding fare

rates. They often ask the people they meet. Due to these reasons, the researchers came up to the idea of designing the Online Bus scheduling System to help coordinate their travel. In designing this project, the database is one important thing that the researchers had develop. It is

an application that manages data and allows fast storage and retrieval of data that will be needed in the provision of records. In the world of computers, a database provides a way for other computer programs to quickly retrieve and update desired pieces of data.

Also, the Database Management System (DBMS) manages user requests (and requests from other programs) so that users and other programs are free from having to understand where the data is physically located on storage media and, in a multiuser system, where somebody else may also be accessing the data. In handling user requests, the DBMS ensures

the integrity and security of the data (Simon Christiansen, 1999). Legal study are bases and supports Article in II, conducting Section 24 the of research the 1987

necessary.

Philippine Constitution, states that:

The State recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation-building.

This

is

one

of

the

laws

that

the

researchers

have

depended upon which serves as a legal basis of conducting the study. This law is concerned about how technology affects nation-building. With this regard, the main purpose of our study focuses on providing, sharing information and promoting equitable system. access by the public help through the online scheduling and

This

will

greatly

local

travelers

tourists in assisting with their trips.

Likewise,

Article

XIV,

Section

10

of

the

same

Constitution, states that:

Science and technology are essential for national development and progress. The State shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation and their utilization; and to science and technology education, training and service. It shall support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, and their application to the countrys productive systems and national life.

Prior relevance

to of

this the

section,

it

states and

the

value

and

researchers

their

significant

contributions to the inflation of technological aspects and progress in the economic development of nation. This would boost the courage of the researchers to discover neoteric valuable technique products. of The advancements, school shall and give create more to

relevance

researches that will be useful the society.

for the development of

With the online bus scheduling system, the tourism and productivity of Bohol will increase allowing more

travelers and entrepreneurs to do transactions not only with the capital city but also with the neighboring

towns of Bohol.

Related for creating

studies the

and

projects of the

were

taken A

as

basis of

design and

projects. have been

lot

related

projects

applications

made

that

make use of the concept of Online Bus Scheduling System. One of the projects that the researchers relate d

their study is the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) . This is the USAs second largest public transportation

system. It offers services which enable users to view the routes and schedules of the buses that travel in the City of Chicago and 40 neighboring communities. It also offers street maps and even fare information. Maps and bus routes is are one downloadable of the in pdf in format. Transit that

trackers

feature

this

project

makes users get real time arrival predictions. Lost and found page can be accessed also in this website, wherein it reports a lost item on vehicles and or at rail

stations. Another related project is the King County Metro Metro

Transit, located on Puget Sound in Washington State. serves disabled riders by providing them with

accessible

fixed route service (all Metro buses have wheelchair lifts or ramps and all routes and trips are accessible), as well

as paratransit van service and a taxi scrip program.

This

10

also

offers

full

array

of

transportation

services

and

assistance to employers of all sizes. It includes a system called regional ridematch system which helps commuters form

and sustain new carpools and vanpools in seven countries by matching names in a computer data base. It also provides

Transit System Map that gives the users a tool in locating places. Another web application that the researcher related

their project is the Google Transit. It offers route planner for travelling by foot, car, or public transport and an urban business locator for numerous countries around the world. It provides easy-to-follow routes and direction information

using available public transport or the the most utilized transportation public. detailed Google service Transit in any city/state very by the as it general gives station

proves

useful

information

about

the

transit

stops,

information, schedules, journey duration (estimated) and even fare information. Most of the functions of the three discussed related projects has the same concept with ours which allows users to view bus schedules, fare information, estimated travel

duration, stop stations, maps and lost and found page. The three related projects also offer a clear and thorough

11

virtual presentation of the bus routes of the chosen covered areas. They provide information in a faster and more

sophisticated way. THE PROBLEM The researchers observed that Bohol has not yet owned an instrument that will provide travelers a piece of modernized guide for their trips. Due to this reason, the researchers aimed to design an Online Bus Scheduling System to

accommodate this problem. Statement of the Problem This study aimed specifically to answer the

following questions: 1. What were the features of the newly designed Online Bus Scheduling System in terms of? a. Design a. 1. Flow Chart a. 2. Flow Operations b. Programming Language 2. What was the performance level of the conventional manual method compared to the Online Bus Scheduling System and their significant differences in terms of:

12

a. Accessibility b. Speed in Data Processing c. Provides comprehensive information d. Accuracy of data 3. What was the level of acceptability of the designed software? a. Effectiveness b. Ease of use 4. What was the difference to between the the conventional scheduling

manual system?

systems

compared

online

bus

5. What action plan had been proposed after testing the project to maximize the utilization of the program? Statement of the Null Hypothesis There manual were no of significant the bus differences to in the the use of Bus

display

schedules

Online

Scheduling System. Significance of the Study The project was called Online Bus Scheduling System to have an organized and public display of the schedules and

13

other

information.

The

researchers

conducted

this

study

because it is valuable for the following persons and reasons: Passengers via Tubigon-Tagbilaran(vice versa). They will be provided an innovative guide of the time schedule of the buses and be able to maximize the use of time for other purposes while waiting for the scheduled time. This project is also designed for security purposes. Bus Terminal. Bus terminals Technology will be equipped that can with a

modernized

Information

System

render

quality service to the people. Bus Company. As the project is displayed online, the publicity of the company is increased. Owners of the company can monitor the performance the forum of their that drivers served and as other online

employees

through

page

passengers assistance. Researchers. The researchers will attain knowledge about the operations in bus terminals and will know the profile of the buses. This project will greatly help broaden the

knowledge of the researchers on creating software especially online applications.

14

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Design This study implemented the experimental design where

both of the manual method of presentation of schedules and online bus scheduling system was exemplified and demonstrated to the sample of population the to two of participants. were tested, The overall and data

performance rated

systems

compared in

according

their

accessibility,

speed

processing, providing comprehensive information, and accuracy of data. The level of acceptability of the newly designed software was also tested according to its ease of use and effectiveness. conducted was The the basis of the result of the experiment the given

output

accumulated

from

questionnaires. Environment and Participants Gathering of data for the system was done on the Dao Integrated Terminal and on the respective office or residence of the bus owners. The distribution of project evaluation instrument was also conducted on the Dao Integrated Bus

Terminal, Dao District, Tagbilaran City.

15

The participants of the study were the bus operators, bus company owners and commuters of the said terminal.

Likewise, the researchers decided to include the tourists and travelers who were taking a trip on the route from Tagbilaran City to any towns within Tagbilaran to Tubigon. The number of respondents was given a questionnaire for the project

evaluation. Furthermore, clientele are required to have an internet access for them to access the system. Instruments The researchers had distributed project evaluation

papers as an instrument in collecting the data needed for the assessment of the project research for its reliability,

effectiveness and acceptability. The questionnaires with statements relevant to the

performances of the two distinguished systems in obtaining information of the bus schedules and other information

comprised the stated route of study. Significant differences of the two systems and the level of its acceptability were rated as very good, good, fair and poor. The possible feedbacks that served were as gathered the basis from on the the

disseminated

questionnaires

evaluation of the research project. The data that will be

16

gathered

shall

be

analyzed

and

treated

statistically

in

formulating conclusions and findings. These data will also be taken into consideration in revising and enhancing of the software project. Procedure Gathering relevant information Since travelers such as students and employees,

seasoned passengers and tourists are not much aware of the time scheduling and rescheduling of buses, they would have a hard time in reaching their desired destination. Designing the system for the Online Bus Scheduling System The computer software and websites were considered as the most common internet network interface in the industry. Experts of these fields continue on designing more software to help people on their ongoing practices. The Online Bus Scheduling System is one of the solutions that had

accommodated the needs of the commuters and travelers around Bohol. It was capable of showing on screen the time

schedules, bus descriptions, contact numbers and fare rate information. Moreover, online reservation of buses for tour

17

purposes

was of

also the

catered schedule

by is

the

system.

However,the by the bus

arrangement operators.

predetermined

Formulating the Questionnaires Formulated survey questionnaires by the researchers were based on the comparison of the new scheduling system and the conventional manual method used. These were also used in

gathering the results on how effective the software is. These served as the basis in concluding the level of acceptability the software obtained from its and respondents. Testing the System In testing the Online Bus Scheduling System, the researchers performed tests with the presence of the experts. The tests that were conducted and aimed to come up with with the its

functional,

practical

informative

software

suitable programming language. Distributing and gathering the research instrument. The researchers distributed evaluation papers to the

chosen respondents at Dao Integrated Bus Terminal. Retrieval of the said instruments were be done right away.

18

Integrating the gathered data results After taking back the evaluation papers from the chosen respondents, results were carefully studied through following the accurate steps in analyzing data results and were treated statistically. Formulating the summary, conclusions and recommendations. Conclusions, recommendations and summary were formulated after carefully analyzing the data collected. Statistical Treatment of Data Using the data gathered given among the selected

respondents; these determined the performance level of the conventional manual method and the Online Bus Scheduling

System. It also determined the acceptability level of the newly designed Online Bus Scheduling System. The researchers used the weighted mean formula:

Where: W Weighted mean - Summation

19

FR Frequency of responses NR Number of respondents a Assigned weight to each scale The range for each description or rate were: 3.25-4.00 Very Good 2.52-3.24 Good 1.76-2.51 Fair 1.00-1.75 Poor OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS For further understanding of the contents of thesis/ the following meaning of the different terms used are given: Travel applications and technology. Is a term used to describe

of Information

Technology (IT),or Information in travel, tourism and

Communications

Technology(ICT),

hospitality industry. Timetable. Any schedule or plan designating the times

at or within which certain things occur or are scheduled to occur. Internet. network of A computer network consisting of a worldwide networks that use the TCP/IP network

computer

protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange. Server. Is a program that operates as a socket listener

20

It

is

also

often

generalized

to

describe

a host that

is

deployed to execute one or more such programs. Online. The condition of being connected to a network of computers or other devices. The term is frequently used to describe someone who is currently connected to the Internet. Database. Is a system intended to organize, store, and retrieve large amounts of data easily. It consists of an

organized collection of data for one or more uses, typically in digital form. Design. It is a process of problem-solving and planning for a software solution. After the purpose and specifications of software are determined, software

developers will design or employ designers to develop a plan for a solution. It includes low-level component and algorithm implementation issues as well as the architectural view. Website. It is a collection other of digital related web assets. A

pages containing images, videos or

website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area

network through an Internet address also called URL.