On the Road in 2018

“Look east for the next gold rush!”, many are exclaiming, as the world eyes Southeast Asia to birth the next big digital economies.

As economic growth is taking off, so is the region’s time spent on the road, from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. Drivers in Southeast Asia are not only spending more and more time on the road, they are also exploring new parts of previously unknown areas that are now increasingly accessible, due to the rapid urbanisation that is taking place across the region and the widespread availability of mobile technology that can guide them there.

Let’s take a look at what’s shaping the way we drive here.

Rapid Urbanisation and Traffic

It is no secret that Southeast Asian cities are expanding rapidly. In fact, according to the “Smart Cities in Southeast Asia” report, these cities are growing at a quicker pace than both the rest of Asia and global average.

While urbanisation brings with it benefits such as economic growth and human development, the unprecedented pace of growth is creating real challenges. From the lack of adequate housing to limited infrastructure and services, rapid urbanisations can stretch a city’s resources.

And the result? Overcrowded cities coupled with grappling gridlock and jam-packed busses or train services.

More often than not, citizens living in these fast-growing Southeast Asian cities spend hours and hours each day just to get from one destination to another. Then there are also the ongoing road upgrades and constructions that happen every now and then along with road digging activities. All of these factors contribute not only towards increasing travel time, but also road safety risks and more stress.

Interestingly enough, our data indicated that among the top 12 cities worldwide with the worst traffic are Manila (the city with the worst traffic), Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. And guess what? These are all cities in Southeast Asia that have shown the most rapid growth.

When the Holiday Brings the Gift of Traffic

In addition to the population growth, other factors have also come into play when it comes to traffic in Southeast Asia.

Case in point: the holiday season. It goes without saying that this time of year brings challenges to the roads. From adding more vehicles to creating record-breaking holiday traffic, the struggle to go from one place to another is real during the holiday.

In Southeast Asia, traffic increased even more during the holiday period. Based on last year’s data, some of the key holidays that inspired more Wazers to be on the road were Christmas, New Year and Hari Raya. While the number of vehicles on the road varied, for countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, drivers can expect more vehicles and longer hours on the road during Hari Raya. For Philippines on the other hand, the period before and during Christmas is typically the busiest time to be on the road in addition to New Year’s Eve.

No wonder the holiday season is always jam-packed!

Building Smarter and Traffic-less Cities in 2019

Smart solutions can help to address some of the challenges that Southeast Asian cities are facing today. Think about investing in smart mobility systems that can help to provide different routes or set an alternative time to travel. After all, building smarter cities is not just about adding transport infrastructure or increasing road capacity; it is also about using technologies to optimize the performance of existing infrastructure.

Waze is excited to be able to contribute towards building the smart cities of the future. Whether it is through sharing of data that can help to better prepare for the next record-breaking holiday traffic or finding ways to prevent accidents and to improve road conditions, traffic insights can play a big role in improving livability and efficiency in cities. After all, isn’t it about time that we make traffic less of an issue?

Here’s to smarter and traffic-less cities in 2019!