Traffic is so bad in the Philippine capital Manila that patients are dying, as ambulances remain gridlocked in traffic jams.
And it’s also causing major economic pain – with a recent study finding traffic congestion in the nation could soon be costing the economy more than $US 1 million dollars a day in lost opportunities.
But one of the world’s most congested cities could be transformed through artificial intelligence, according to Cubic’s Mick Spiers.
“Data is now the lifeblood of any transport system and it’s helping transport operators, planners and governments to revolutionise transport networks at an unprecedented rate,” says Mr Spiers from the intelligent travel app developer.
Mr Spiers, General Manager Asia for Cubic Transportation Systems, is looking at the potential for Mobility as a Service (MaaS) to reduce congestion in Manila and other cities across Asia.
Mr Spiers says artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics can provide game changing ingredients for building smarter cities and eliminating bottlenecks across transport networks.
Mobility as a Service
MaaS sees a shift away from privately owned cars or several transport platforms and can combine public transport, taxis, car rental, as well as car and bike sharing in a single app on a smart phone.
Some transport experts are calling the trend, the most significant innovation in transport since the advent of the car.
Australia – key driver
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission sees the adoption of intelligent and seamless transportation as an integral part of the design and creation of cities.
Austrade predicts the smart mobility sector to double in the next five to seven years and says Australia is emerging as a leader in the sector – pointing towards innovative on-demand public transport trials in Sydney.
Across Australia, car share membership is expected to grow by 14,000 members per year from 2016.
Cubic’s Mr Spiers believes new mobility services have the potential to help cities like Manila overcome crippling traffic issues – and in doing so address the dire health and economic congestion issues.
“Data is now the lifeblood of any transport system and it’s helping transport operators, planners and governments to revolutionise transport networks at an unprecedented rate,” he says.