By: Amit Gupta, Co-Founder, gogoBus
Indian bus space is the most neglected part of our mobility system. The way our bus network operates even today is very traditional. Even though as per the Government of India statistics, 1.5 million+ buses are registered in India, which are being managed or operated by private and government
undertakings.
Assisting 50 million+ Indian travellers to reach their respective destinations daily for a plethora of reasons.
With rapid urbanization, increased focus of the Government on highway development, and increasing internet penetration, there is an urgent need for an inclusive end-to-end bus mobility system.
Erstwhile problems like – fleet maintenance & utilization, daily demand management, vehicle tracking,routes, and fare optimization result in sub-optimal occupancy. Rather an inefficient usage of these fleets leads to another level of challenge i.e., pollution and congestion in cities putting additional pressure on the existing road infrastructure of the country. The situation today is alarming and requires a paradigm shift in approaching this problem of inefficiency and underutilization of fleets.
Covid further increased the complexity of the bus operators’ multifold. While they were already battling with existing challenges, the drastic drop in demand for an elongated period of 12-18 months brought them under heavy financial burden owing to their highly leveraged bus fleet.
Due to this, several busoperators are in the process of winding up their erstwhile multi-generation business.
So, on one side traditional bus operators were pulling out of business, while on the other side a couple of contemporary bus operators started accepting the importance of technology and data to plan their operations routes to maximize their revenue. Additionally, these bus operators across India
became cognizant of the changing consumer requirements around safety and hygiene and started adopting technology options to bring transparency and trust.
In the post-Covid scenario, bus travel is expected to bounce back!
On the back of inherent demand, business fundamentals, and extensive vaccination coverage.
Theindustry is at an inflection point of increased digitalization and evolving consumer expectations.
Technology holds the key, which needs to be holistic and inclusive!
Transportation As A Service (TAAS aka SAAS for Transportation) technology has the potential to benefit society, the environment, and the economy over the long term and has the power to be the change, which cities are aspiring to be today. Globally, bus mobility systems have observed massive
adaption of technology in the last decade with extensive usage of data coupled with innovative models like TAAS.
TAAS is an inclusive technology platform that provides tangible end-to-end value to bus operators by enhancing customer experience and profitability. It primarily works in a two-pronged manner –
● Reducing Costs by improving cost structure and increasing asset utilization
● Increasing Revenue by enhancing bus operators’ customer value
In an effort to create end-to-end value, TAAS technology platforms are leveraging precise location
intelligence to address a number of challenges around reducing operational costs and improving the
user experience for on-demand bus mobility.
When we mention on-demand mobility, what we mean is consumers taking advantage of advancement in technology to access innovative, new transportation solutions through applications on their smartphones. The holy grail for these apps are going to be one single solution through which a consumer can effortlessly plan a route, make a booking, get real-time ETAs, and then switch their transportation choices without difficulty or undue hold-up.
Another critical element of bus mobility is the network, which is directly proportional to consumer
usage. TAAS platforms work with bus operators to build a connected bus network for digital booking,contactless payments, contactless boarding, and all of this on-demand. The need for a platform is
real because it can provide a central infrastructure for operators and consumers to collaborate effectively.
The technology infrastructure must have the capability to create and maintain a marketplace or a community, which in turn is driven by DATA.
In this dynamic and constantly evolving environment, a transparent system that gives end-to-end visibility of vehicles not only to customers but also of consumers to the operators will take the lead.
Connected systems are to be built on a platform that enables the overall mobility ecosystem with the ability to scale and maintain continuous integration and delivery.
Today’s need is for inclusive technology platforms to solve the problem of the legacy technology stack while creating an end-to-end ecosystem connecting both demand and supply in real-time to ensure a seamless travel experience for Bharat.
In a way, technology has the potential to play a pivotal role in the transition to more sustainable, integrated, and intelligent mobility systems, in the process opening incredible opportunities for users and fleet operators alike.
Disclaimer: Views are personal. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not represent of those of The Indian Express Group or its employees
