When taken together, camera and vehicle data provide a better understanding of how infrastructure is performing, and how well traffic is moving (if at all) on certain streets. Transport planners can use this data to identify congestion hotspots or bottlenecks, configure services, and prioritize signal configuration or changes to lane configurations, etc. Combined with historical data, real-time insights also provide a before-and-after picture of how new infrastructure affects traffic conditions, through comparison of travel times and speeds then and now.
Leveraging data is at the heart of all Shotl’s demand-responsive transit (DRT) operations. As our baseline infrastructure for DRT includes a smartphone or tablet where to run the Driver App, automatically all DRT vehicles do have a GPS. But the value of DRT data goes beyond just allowing you to know vehicle location, speed, etc. Since routes are calculated dynamically by our algorithm in response to passenger demand, if a vehicle repeatedly avoids a specific street or area, this can indicate there’s an issue that needs to be investigated. By contrast, if the algorithm consistently favors certain routes, this can be an indication that other fixed services could be more efficiently routed along these streets. The more DRT vehicles circulating on the streets, the better the data you can collect.
As well as giving transport planners a more comprehensive overview of what’s happening on the ground, DRT data also benefits citizens. When inputted into publicly accessible platforms, feeds, and systems, it provides real-time information on the fastest way to complete a journey, and which areas to avoid, etc.
Of course, collecting vehicle data comes with certain challenges. For instance, while technology is improving all the time, data can be unreliable unless the GPS is pinpoint accurate. In Barcelona, for instance, where Shotl is based, we’ve detected issues with the GPS “jumping” from the bus lane to adjacent lanes on wider multi-lane streets. One way to overcome this is by using better-quality GPS. The other is by cleaning data before use, which is why our IT department performs this service as standard for all our DRT customers.
Of course, vehicle data is only one part of the puzzle. To get the whole picture, you need to factor in user data and demand data. We’ll be looking at the uses of user data in our next post on this topic.
30.09.18
Over the last few years, poorly regulated ride-hailing services have generated an alarming increase of “for-hire vehicles” on the streets of major cities. These are now causing a level of congestion that never existed before.
28.10.19
A distracted driver is a dangerous driver, and cellphone use at the wheel is a modern disease that’s on the rise globally.
27.06.22
A few weeks ago Shotl launched an operation on the outskirts of Barcelona, connecting the neighborhood of Can Sunyer in Castellví de Rosanes with the neighboring town of Sant Andreu de la Barca. Ridership figures showed success from day one.