By Rohit Natekar, Business Leader – ITS Program, KPIT Technologies
Indian cites are being urbanized faster than ever before. A large majority of India’s population resides in urban areas, and historically
transportation plays a key role in urban development. According to the 2011 census, the urban population in India in 2011 was 360 million which comprised 30 per cent of the total population. Additionally, the census notes that a large number of towns have mushroomed in the vicinity of the existing cities with population of more than one million.
India’s urban population is projected to grow to about 473 million in 2021 and 820 million by 2051 as against only 285 million in 2001. Development of efficient urban transportation has been given top priority by the Government under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) and JnNURM II programmes which aim to provide financial help to upgrade infrastructure and governance in Indian cities.
Technology to tackle transportation challenges
With a staggering increase in the number of vehicles that plying on Indian roads, there has been an escalation in road density, traffic snarls and commuting time. This has also led to a deterioration in the surface quality of roads which, in turn, leads to frequent breakdown of vehicles.
While there are significant challenges in urban public transportation today, there are solutions that are being developed to tackle some of the issues. Traditionally urban transport in India encompassed rail, road and water transport. However, city bus services continue to be the main form of public transport for the majority of India’s urban citizens.
In large cities like Delhi and Bangalore, buses are used for more than 40 per cent of all motorized trips, while in medium and small cities, they remain the most cost-effective mode of public transport. Technology has played a key role in addressing some of the challenges faced by city buses.
Intelligent transport systems
One of these solutions is the implementation of the On-Bus Intelligent Transport System (On-Bus ITS) which has been made mandatory for the 10,000 buses and any future buses funded under JnNURM II. To ensure the quality of these systems, an On-Bus ITS would have to be certified by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). To meet the stringent hardware and software norms put forth by JnNURM II, any On-Bus ITS would have to be compliant with the urban bus specification of the JnNURM II programme.
The On-Bus ITS is a system integration device comprising LED indicators that can track a bus route, its destination and the number of stops, enabling bus transport authorities to reduce response time to emergencies and in enhancing the operating efficiency. The bus driver has access to a console, which is configured to display information about the passengers, routes and vehicle health.
The intuitive Human Machine Interface (HMI) is easy for the bus operator to use and to make route selection simpler. It has alarms & warnings with a panic button for emergency and remote surveillance for enhanced safety and security. The diagnostic tool in the On-Bus ITS checks the bus’ oil levels or if there are parts in need of maintenance, and remotely reports to a back end system. This helps prevent any unexpected breakdowns that would inconvenience both the bus manufacturer and the passengers.
There are also benefits for the passenger with a real time comprehensive passenger information system (PIS). The On-Bus ITS makes it possible to monitor vehicle speed, and the information about the route and location is provided to passengers through both an audio and visual display so that they know where they are at all times. Security cameras that are the equivalent of CCTV cameras are installed with live video feed to a back end system that ensures passenger and driver safety at all times.
A key component of the On-Bus ITS is the data analytics that can be created to track a bus’ efficiency and operation. The system can track the number of people who have boarded the bus at different points, routes that have the highest density of passengers, the speed of the bus and the timing corresponding to each route. This can help State transport operators understand if the bus is running efficiently or if there is a need to optimize routes. Fleet management would become easier and more efficient with real time data to calculate the best available routes, divert or reroute buses in case of exigencies with a service that is fully automated.
These features are managed by the back-end support at the depot control using the cloud technology and remote diagnostics. The cloud also proves useful as the authorities would not need to make huge investments in a large server to store data; with cloud storage the information is accessible on multiple screens for minimal costs.
The future of urban transport
There is a lot of potential for technological developments in urban transportation, especially with the onset of data collection and cloud storage. One way that data can be effectively utilized is with an Advanced Collision Warning System that can be used in both railways and roadways that can help prevent accidents.
There would possibly be the development of smart phone apps that are designed specifically to deal with Indian transport. This could allow for communication possibility across many kinds of transportation modes such as railways, cars, etc. The smart card system that exists for the railways could also be brought onto buses with a system of electronic passes that can be regularly topped up. This would reduce the need for paper tickets and would also be a completely automated system.
Railways would also see the integration of the internet and radio that would provide audio or video displays that would facilitate better communication with passengers. In order to be commercially viable, these systems can also be used as advertising properties.
While there is still a long way to go towards addressing all the challenges in India’s urban transportation system, introducing intelligent technological innovations that ensure safety of passenger and efficiency of buses is the first and a very important step.