Technology: helping public and private transit agencies thrive for years to come.
Technology has covered almost all aspects of our life, from the start of our day when consuming news to remote work and connecting with our friends and family. During the pandemic, many industries adapted to new operating models by using technology. Some of those new implementations will be with us for the foreseeable future, while others have already started to return to pre-COVID behavior. Out of all the industries, transportation and mobility were the hardest hit as people avoided travel mostly due to social distancing, lockdowns, and other restrictive measures. Today, technology has changed the way we experience mobility and will continue to do so. Now is the right time to start redefining this experience by leveraging new technologies and those in the pipeline.
Implementing the right mobility technologies can help us ramp up the adaptation rate of public transit, decrease traffic on roads, and make transportation more environment friendly by improving the utilization rate of existing resources. In fact, smart cities will increasing depend on technology to find long-term solutions, which can then be built upon for even more sustainable, accessible, environmental, and resilient benefits.
Here are some of the ways technology can improve mobility in your local area:
- Safer Mobility. Technology can make mobility safer for everyone by implementing automatic accident detection and alerting the proper authority using inbuilt accelerometers or safety sensors. The inbuilt tracking device can sense acceleration, speed, and steering angle data to determine if the driver is following all the driving safety guidelines. In case of a violation, it can automatically alert drivers with suggestions for improvement. An inbuilt dashcam can help with proper reporting in case of accident or misconduct on the bus, making it safer for riders to use the service.
- One-Stop Mobility Shop. Riders are more open to travel using public or shared transportation if it’s easier to plan it under one service. Aggregating all the available local mobility options under one app makes it significantly more convenient for users to trust and use the services offered by public and private organizations.
- Frictionless Mobility. Technology can help decrease friction during the booking and transaction process by allowing riders to book trips and pay for them using digital no-touch methods, making it easier to confirm their journey in advance. This makes the customer support experience a breeze for organizations as they can now spend less time collecting customer data, payments, etc. and more time supporting customers.
- Simplified Communications. Technology allows more accessible communications between riders and organizations. making booking and cancellation safer and more convenient. By implementing the proper in-app notifications, SMS, and/or email, transit agencies can save time and resources spent waiting for the riders and decrease last-minute cancellation rates.
- Automated Operations. Automation using technology can make agency operations much more straightforward, saving time for dispatchers and management. Logging daily inspections, reminders on vehicle maintenance, and reporting can be made much easier to deliver.
- Dashboard Reporting. Go MUVE is more than a user-friendly app, it’s a complete eco-system that delivers data. MUVE’s dashboard, which provides insights into all operations and one-click reporting, is an ingenious tech solution that fleet management operators could previously only dream of!
- Route Optimization. Based on past rider behavior and booking history, vehicle service routes can be optimized for maximum efficiency and coverage. With enough historic trip data, modern algorithms can help optimize operations for efficiency, travel time, or service availability in a given area.
- Predictive Demand. Today’s technology can help predict a surge or decline in rider requests at a particular time of the year and it can help schedule drivers and vehicle availability in advance to meet demand.
- Trend Analysis. With today’s GPS device accuracy and past vehicle and traffic trends, agencies can accurately predict the arrival and departure times of the services available in an area, making it very comfortable for riders to book/plan their future trips.
- Plug-and-Play Services. Technology makes it easier for organizations providing transportation services to collaborate with other groups by implementing a plug-and-play approach to their services. Local schools, hospitals, senior centers, and companies can utilize the benefits by setting up direct accounts with the agency’s digital infrastructure.
- Accessible & Inclusive Mobility. Technology can make things more accessible for people with special needs, allowing them more ways to book their trips and communicate their requirements. An example is Go MUVE, a unique mobility app that enables transportation solutions for people of all abilities. Go MUVE’s technology includes a tagging feature, which lets users identify accessible locations within their communities.
Technology can significantly increase participation in public transportation programs by making them more accessible and easier to plan/book. It can improve safety and accuracy and ultimately builds trust in community mobility programs. As we continue to emerge from the global pandemic, now is the right time to apply the right technology to create a better transportation experience for all.
To book a demo of Go MUVE or learn more about our solutions please click here
