by Emerging Mobility Options
Ridesharing and carpooling are increasingly popular shared mobility options. Through mobile apps, people can easily find others travelling similar routes to share rides and costs. Services like Uberpool and Lyft Line allow on-demand ridesharing. Companies are also testing shared self-driving vehicles that can be summoned through an app to pick up multiple passengers going in the same direction. This reduces the number of vehicles on roads and carbon footprint per trip.
Micromobility options using small, lightweight vehicles are also gaining traction in urban areas. Docked and dockless bike sharing systems provide sustainable ‘last mile’ connectivity. Electric scooters deployed through station-less rental models have become quite popular for short urban trips. They help fill transportation gaps and reduce dependence on private cars within cities.
Integrated Mobility as a Service
A major focus of smart transportation development is integrated mobility platforms that offer a variety of public and private mobility services through a single interface. Users can plan, book and pay for multimodal trips combining different modes of transport like public transit, ride-hailing, bike sharing, scooter sharing etc. through a single mobile app or account.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) provides a convenient way to meet diverse transportation needs through flexible use of multiple options on demand. It aims to make public transportation more accessible and ridership more resilient through seamless trips involving different providers. Growing preference for flexible, pay-per-use options is driving uptake of integrated MaaS platforms worldwide.
Advancements in Public Transportation
Public transit agencies are Smart Transportation leveraging technologies to enhance services, increase ridership and plan infrastructure needs. Many cities have integrated fare payment systems allowing riders to pay transit fares using contactless cards or mobile wallets across different modes including buses, trains and ferries.
Real-time passenger information systems provide updated schedules and location of vehicles through apps and at stops. This improves journey planning and reduces waits. Transport authorities are also using smart card and auto fare collection data to analyze ridership patterns, identify underutilized routes and resource needs to optimize operations.
Autonomous Vehicles and Future of Mobility
Self-driving vehicles are attracting a lot of interest due to their potential to transform transportation. Although fully autonomous cars may still be years away from commercial reality, their testing and deployment is speeding up supported by robotaxi services. Partnerships between ride-hailing companies and automakers are increasingly experimenting with self-driving taxis and deliveries.
Shared driverless cars, buses and trucks promise to drastically cut down vehicle ownership rates as people switch to accessing mobility on demand. This could ease traffic congestion and parking woes in cities by efficiently utilizing vehicle capacity. Over time, autonomous shared transportation could reduce transportation costs and expand mobility access for those unable to drive themselves. However, significant challenges remain around safety, costs, regulations, cybersecurity and public acceptance before wide adoption.
Smart Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Smart technologies are also changing the logistics sector. Fleet and asset management systems enable real-time monitoring of goods vehicle locations, routes, speed, mileage, fuel usage etc. Dynamic route optimization based on traffic conditions helps reduce distances travelled.
More fleets are transitioning to telematics-enabled electric vehicles suitable for last mile urban deliveries. Internet of Things (IoT) devices and data analytics increasingly track shipments from origin to destination for supply chain visibility. Blockchain platforms facilitate secure electronic transactions between shippers, insurers, custom authorities and other stakeholders. This boosts efficiency of cross-border trade through decreased paperwork and transparent tracking of goods movement.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
