The Future of Public Transport
Smart cities require smart public mobility
Technology is progressing rapidly and is digitizing each aspect of our lives. This digital advancement fueled by machines with smart learning capabilities and the Internet (of things) is driving and transforming cities into smart cities, just to give an example.
The need for smart public transport
A smart city incorporates digital and technological solutions into its infrastructure and core operations. One of the most important among these, is mobility or transport. While the current trend in transport is mainly focused on owning personal mobility- or ride sharing services at best — in the future it is more than probable to shift towards a form of smart public transport.
We did some research and looked at “how” public transport will become more successful and widely adopted than ever in the future.
Autonomous driving vehicles are no longer a concept. Chances are, you might have already spotted one on your drive home from work. But apart from vehicles that can drive themselves being sold to consumers today, research and effort are being put into driverless means of public transport as well. Self-driving buses are being tested in several European cities on fixed routes and at limited speeds. While currently they still include an overseeing driver monitoring the self driving commute, that is set to become unnecessary in a near future. As soon as Autonomous Public Transport (APT) proves to be capable of handling emergencies, making smart decisions in complex situations, it’s more than likely a breakthrough moment is bound to happen.
This is what has led to completely driverless vehicles that can seat a small number of passengers to be deployed for transport or to shuttle students around campus. The point here is that Autonomous Public Transport vehicles are already in operation and have proven to be a success. Further improvements will follow and will eventually lead to self-driving buses becoming common and readily available for people.
Main challenges
The major problems of public transport include limited vehicles running on limited routes. Even people who use public transport every day suffer from the first mile/last mile problem, where the last stop on their way home or to work, further requires an additional transport or a short walk to the end destination. Smart, autonomous public transport overcomes this hurdle with driverless vehicles that run on electricity. Going driverless and running on electricity reduces costs by almost half, or even more. This, in turn, is what will enable smaller, self-driving buses to run on their specific routes, picking up passengers from their home, and dropping them at their workplace. In the United States the startup Chariot, acquired by Ford Smart Mobility, already offers a smart commute based on the exact locations where people live.
While self-driving and fuel-efficient cars are a great step forward, more cars on the road are not the solution we need. The world population is growing and people are becoming more intelligent and aware of their responsibilities to their planet and environment. A transport solution that bundles efficiency, low costs, comfort, and a lower negative impact on the environment will be adopted by the masses. Cost reduction of public transport will promote smaller vehicles running on more personalized routes for specific sets of people. Organizations could employ self-driving vehicles to provide the commute for their employees from their doorsteps right up to their workplaces.
The near future
The more immediate trend shift in transport for the masses, however, is more focused on availing transport services rather than owning vehicles. E-ticketing and ride sharing services have made getting a ride to anywhere at any time a matter of minutes. Mobile apps that bundle all modes of public transport into one connected and synchronized experience, are also getting popular. Have to take the bus to a certain stop and then an Lyft from there onwards to your destination? All that can be controlled from a single application on your phone, so that when you get off at your stop, the car will already be waiting for you.
Smart public transport also means that vehicles and transport modes will be able to communicate with each other, in order to further optimize their service to their customers and ensure efficient transport. This way, using (smart) public transport will become the natural way to go when moving from point A to B.
If you’d like to learn more on smart cities and smart public transport, we invite you to Mobility of the Future 2018 (#MOTF18), a conference where local and international thought leaders will share their vision and expertise on the future of mobility.
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