When it comes to convincing more people to use public transport, AI will play a role. But the question is who will pay for the digitization of the system.
The digitalization of local transport is just beginning. Artificial intelligence should help with this. Getty Images / Stefanie Loos
As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, urban landscapes long characterized by congested streets, pollution and inefficient transportation systems are poised for a transformative leap into the future. In the next ten to 20 years, mobility in cities will change to an unprecedented extent thanks to innovative means of transport. Artificial intelligence will play a major role in this. But there are questions about the economic viability.
AI-driven traffic systems use real-time data analytics to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion. These systems analyze data from a variety of sources, including traffic sensors, cameras and vehicles themselves, to make adjustments to the timing of traffic lights and manage congestion more effectively. Such systems can significantly improve the efficiency of urban transport networks, resulting in smooth traffic flow and shorter travel times.
The first systems are already in use
The city of Pittsburgh has, among other things, an adaptive traffic light control system called Surtrac Startups Miovision introduced. Surtrac combines artificial intelligence with digital communication tools to adapt to changing traffic conditions, resulting in significant reductions in waiting and travel times as well as emissions from idling vehicles. The company states that thanks to AI, waiting times for drivers can be reduced by up to 40 percent.
The advantages of these systems also benefit local public transport. Like many drivers, he is stuck in traffic, which endangers departure times and the entire operational process. In fact, the average speed of a bus in Berlin is almost sad. You can’t get more than 14 km/h in the city center. This is due to the many stops, but also to the traffic the bus has to go through. If the traffic centers had more data, controlling public transport would be easier and, above all, more reliable.
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In fact, there is already a large amount of data available today. Buses and trains from many public transport providers send their position in real time. The VBB has a real-time map with all connections including the delays that the respective journeys have (also in the app). Other providers have the data, but lack the interfaces to make this data available to citizens. And there you are already in the middle of the problem for the future.
Tight budgets are slowing down the future
The municipalities’ tight budgets have led to a delay in the digitization of local transport. So far, so known. But in order to integrate AI into the systems, the transport companies needed even more money. There is the fact that so-called “Vehicle to Infrastructure” (V2X) sensors have to be introduced. This means nothing other than that communication is introduced, for example between traffic lights and buses, so that they receive priority when the traffic lights are switched.
The problem is not the technology itself, it is there and ready to use. But who pays for the provision and maintenance of the systems? The municipalities often shrug their shoulders helplessly and shift responsibility back and forth between the different authorities. But without the widespread introduction of such systems, at least in the city centers, there can be no improvement in the offerings.
If you want to make public transport more reliable and, above all, more attractive, AI and real-time information systems must be introduced. This is the only way to get more people to leave their cars behind or get rid of them altogether. Public transport optimized by AI reduces operating costs, can control the charging cycles of e-buses in the future and create better connections for customers. Since public transport in many places is still stuck in the 1980s, digitalization is necessary anyway. In the end, the communities benefit just as much as the customers.
Don Dahlmann has been a journalist for over 25 years and has been in the automotive industry for over ten years. Every Monday you can read his “Torque” column here, which takes a critical look at the mobility industry.
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