As an infrequent user of public transport, the inconveniences I experience during my travels inspired me to pen this article. Common issues such as long waits for buses, difficulty in finding seats, and overcrowded conditions make journeys tiresome. It's high time the government adopts a mix of advanced technologies like IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), NFC (Near Field Communication), and Machine Learning to make daily commutes more comfortable.
Passenger Module
Intent to Travel: Passengers can use this module to inform the transport corporation of their travel plans (destination, number of people). The corporation will read the user's location and accordingly plan the fleet services and provide Bus registration number and expected arrival time. A partial amount will be withdrawn from the passenger's wallet to ensure accountability.
Bus Tracking module: The passenger's then can track the status of bus and plan their commute to bus stand accordingly.
Ready for Pickup: Upon reaching the bus stand, passengers should confirm their arrival through this module. The corporation will verify the passenger's location using IoT and provide a QR code ticket and bus registration number. At this point, half the fare will be deducted from the passenger's wallet.
Ready for Pickup: Upon reaching the bus stand, passengers should confirm their arrival through this module. The corporation will verify the passenger's location using IoT and provide a QR code ticket and bus registration number. At this point, half the fare will be deducted from the passenger's wallet.
Transport Corporation Module
Reservation Module: Upon receiving a request from the passenger through the Intent to Travel module, the corporation can use machine learning to prepare a fleet service chart. They can set a minimum number of passengers required for a bus to start from the base stand and fill passengers from subsequent stands. The algorithm should rework the chart in case of no-show passengers and alert the remaining passengers if necessary.
Passenger Alert Module: As the bus nears the stand, an AI agent should call the passengers to alert them to be ready to board.
Ticket Scanning Module: Conductors equipped with QR scanners will scan the ticket shown by passengers, and the bus fare will be deducted from the passenger's wallet. After a specific wait duration, the bus will depart. If any passenger misses the bus, they will be informed by AI agents. Machine learning will rework the chart via the reservation module and analyze passenger behavior to impose penalties for repeated no-shows.
Reservation Module: Upon receiving a request from the passenger through the Intent to Travel module, the corporation can use machine learning to prepare a fleet service chart. They can set a minimum number of passengers required for a bus to start from the base stand and fill passengers from subsequent stands. The algorithm should rework the chart in case of no-show passengers and alert the remaining passengers if necessary.
Passenger Alert Module: As the bus nears the stand, an AI agent should call the passengers to alert them to be ready to board.
Ticket Scanning Module: Conductors equipped with QR scanners will scan the ticket shown by passengers, and the bus fare will be deducted from the passenger's wallet. After a specific wait duration, the bus will depart. If any passenger misses the bus, they will be informed by AI agents. Machine learning will rework the chart via the reservation module and analyze passenger behavior to impose penalties for repeated no-shows.
Help Desk Module: There could be tourist who are new to city ,who may not have this app in their mobile, for such users they can approach the agent at the stand for assist.
Driver Health Module: This module will monitor drivers' time and distance driven and their vitals. Drivers will be replaced based on set health standards. Continuous inputs will be analyzed to implement any necessary course corrections for better driver health.
This is a preliminary attempt to define a system that addresses problems faced by both corporations and passengers using technology. There may be practical scenarios I missed, but the goal is to improve the public transport experience.
Do let me know your thoughts and if there are similar applications available elsewhere. I would be excited to see such technology adopted in my city, encouraging people like me to use public transport more often.
Driver Health Module: This module will monitor drivers' time and distance driven and their vitals. Drivers will be replaced based on set health standards. Continuous inputs will be analyzed to implement any necessary course corrections for better driver health.
This is a preliminary attempt to define a system that addresses problems faced by both corporations and passengers using technology. There may be practical scenarios I missed, but the goal is to improve the public transport experience.
Do let me know your thoughts and if there are similar applications available elsewhere. I would be excited to see such technology adopted in my city, encouraging people like me to use public transport more often.
