The New Normal in Transportation
Three emerging digital technologies for the new normal in transport
The consensus in the transport and digital development communities has long been that digital tools can transform transportation. These tools have been instrumental in promoting system efficiency in logistics, ensuring access for all by mapping out travel patterns for vulnerable groups, and even reducing transport’s environmental impact through apps that alert residents about high pollution levels. Digital solutions are considered a key pathway to achieving Sustainable Mobility for All. However, the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2019 had introduced an unprecedented global crisis, abruptly disrupted our daily lives and mobility options. Following transport shutdowns and restrictions, a new phase has emerged, characterized by a blend of shut-ins, recovery efforts, and considerable uncertainty. The long-term trajectory for transport is now uncharted territory, likely influenced by volatile oil prices, financially distressed public transport operators, and a new stigma surrounding shared mobility due to contagion fears. As societies brace for an unknown new normal, technology plays a crucial role in keeping our communities functional amid lockdowns and quarantines. In this blog, we look ahead to explore three complementary technology developments in transport that could become integral aspects of the evolving landscape.
Data has always surrounded us, but the ability to capture raw information in real time, interpret it, share it, and utilize it for informed decision-making has become more sophisticated. Advanced devices enable the logging of granular data over temporal and spatial resolutions, allowing for the synthesis of “big data” and facilitating large-scale data sharing. While data use in transportation has been on the rise, the urgency for innovation has increased. Countries and major corporations are now collaborating to utilize open-source data on people’s mobility trends to make decisions related to enforcing lockdowns, ensuring the mobility of essential workers, monitoring public transit, and implementing various strategies. Data platforms are playing a crucial role in ensuring effective space management in shared mobility (e.g., metros) and enabling a staggered approach to travel. In the long term, data will be essential to optimize Mobility as a Service (MaaS) systems in real-time to meet the dynamic supply and demand for both freight and passenger travel. Simultaneously, as attitudes towards data sharing evolve, it is imperative to explore technologies that address ethical, privacy, and security concerns while still facilitating big data analytics and adaptive data sharing across both the private and public sectors.
Innovating intelligent transport systems at scale
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