As the urban areas continue to expand and population continues to grow, leveraging information and communication technologies to manage a city’s assets seem to be the logic step forward. This vision, termed as smart city will define the metropolitan regions in future and smart transportation will be the backbone of these smart cities. Recently the second Smart Cities Expo was concluded in Delhi and many global innovators showcased how they plan to contribute in the future of connected transportation. Some of the solutions are already in use in other parts of the world and will eventually trickle down to our side of the globe. Here are some of them:
Ericsson connected bus stop
Simplified payments
We often spend long time waiting in queues at tollbooths while people dig through their wallets to pay followed by someone manually generating a receipt and opening the gate. 3M thinks that a lot of time can be saved here and that is why they showcased RFID based toll payment systems. The system requires a small sticker to be placed on the car. The sticker can be scanned at the tollbooth which will fetch the user ID and automatically charge the associated card or wallet.
Connected bus stop
Ericsson unveiled connected bus stop design to offer more features to passengers while opening up an additional source of revenue for the operators. The bus stops have internet connectivity and feature a large display that offers additional options for the travellers. The screen may include options like renting a bicycle, checking bus routes, calling a cab and offering other information.
Dynamic signboards
There are plenty of signboards placed all around the roads. Some of them are temporary and are thus rendered useless after a while, the others just provide half the information. Dynamic signboards will enter the picture to solve this and offer more information to the travellers. Instead of telling the distance to a particular destination, they will provide information regarding travel time, traffic status and alternative routes. This would distribute the traffic better through cities and help minimise congestion.
Smarter cars
As automobile brands continue to explore ways to change how we travel from one place to other, we are witnessing a rise in number of electric and hybrid vehicles. Even Indian manufacturers are digging deeper to develop vehicles powered by alternate fuels and are working on creating an ecosystem to support the use of electric vehicles.
These are some of the solutions that we will see being adopted in near future. Going further, we will see technology making an even stronger impact on urban transportation. Here is what you can expect in cars of future.
