Xerox ushers in new era of daily trip planning for Bengaluru commuters
Xerox Research Centre India (XRCI) is piloting the Go Bengaluru app - a multimodal solution that integrates all the available transit methods of getting around the city. The app aims at improving the quality of intra-city travel by offering combinations of cheaper, faster and more sustainable travel options to commuters with the convenience of a smart app.
According to Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) 2011 report, private vehicles in Bengaluru moved at the speed of 23 Kmph. In five years, the speed has come down to 18Kmph (as per latest Ola data), lower than Mumbai and Delhi. Bengaluru has a rapidly growing population and the need for an effective Urban Mobility solution is clearly evident in this city.
“The Go Bengaluru app captures the universe of transportation options (both public and private) and computes the shortest and most sustainable way to get to your destination” said David Cummins, senior vice president Mobility Solutions, Xerox. “The Go Bengaluru app pilot builds on the Go LA and Go Denver pilots currently underway in the US”
Xerox Research Center India used Xerox innovation to solve the local challenges and built upon the solution designed for LA and Denver by localizing the app to work in an Indian city. Go Bengaluru offers local travel options like auto rickshaws. The key challenge was limited availability of public transport data.
Xerox Research Center India worked toward data cleaning and validation, both manual and automated, that involved verifying geographic location of bus stops, converting latest bus route information into a format that app could use, integrating metro timetables with other models of transport to provide multimodal options that are more extensive and accurate than any other data sources for Bengaluru. They also used automation techniques to verify quality of routes it suggests to the user and improve accuracy of time estimates it provides.
“There are individual apps for public transit, car sharing and other transportation options, but we wanted to leverage technology to go beyond a single mode of transportation and provide a broad range of mobility options to fellow citizens and reduce traffic congestion in our cities” said Manish Gupta, Xerox vice president and Xerox Research Centre India director. “The Go Bengaluru app captures the array of options in a hyper-local way, mixing and matching both public and private transportation options. Beyond the seamless travel experience for citizens, Go Bengaluru will help the city collect important information they can use to advance their transportation systems,” said Gupta
Go Bengaluru is also the first app aggregator to include Bengaluru’s new metro line along with BMTC bus services.
“The Go Bengaluru app will help citizens embrace technology in transportation like never before.” Said Dr. Ekroop Caur, managing director, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). “The application will help citizens to plan their journey with multi-modal options also address first and last mile issue. Choosing 'Green' option will encourage citizens towards a sustainable commuting practices which will hold the city in good stead in the years to come.”
XRCI will be working with BMTC and Intelligent Transport System (ITS) to improve the public transport route options and ETA’s provided in the app.
How Go Bengaluru works for residents and visitors
The app aggregates and calculates the time, cost, carbon footprint, and health benefits from walking, biking, driving your own car, parking, taking public transit, as well as the emerging private transportation options, giving users a variety of ways to reach their destination. Discovering user needs for combining public and private transportation options, Xerox researchers designed and delivered this smart city solution.
The app takes an individual’s destination and desired arrival time, and calculates the different routes available, categorized by “sooner,” “cheaper,” and “greener.”
Details provided include length of trip, price, number of calories burned, and how much carbon dioxide is released into the air – allowing users to choose the best option to meet their needs. Customers can also save trips they take often, like from home to work, in their “My Rides” area of the app.
Working with its partners, Xerox will integrate more transportation service providers into the app as the pilot progresses so users can choose from a wider range of options. The app will also pilot ridesharing later this year so that users can carpool with people traveling in the same direction in a way that give the control over route and co-passengers back to users. After enough data is collected, users will also be able to create a profile where they can set goals related to their personal fitness, financials and time, and track them within the app.
The Go Bengaluru app is now available for iOS and Android systems in the AppStore and Google Play stores. Web users can also access it from Go Bengaluru website available at www.goblrapp.com.
