Opening transport data to solve traffic problems

According to a recent study, traffic problems in the world’s 30 largest cities costs USD 266 billion per year. The study’s authors advocate the opening of transport data to facilitate mobile information and encourage drivers to leave their cars at home and take the bus.

16 May 2013 - "Personal mobility is key to the success and prosperity of a country's economy. But population growth, and therefore the increase in traffic in the world's largest megacities lead to paralysis", find experts Roland Berger, who conducted a study on the socio-economic costs of traffic congestion in 30 of the world’s major cities. They believe that the solution is "connected mobility", that is to say, linked transport data and modes.

"Although we live in an increasingly connected world, personal mobility remains very fragmented, and we lack information on the best way to get from point A to point B", says the report. The firm suggests interconnecting the various transport modes (public transport, car pooling, car sharing, etc...) so that passengers can move from one to another, depending on their needs.

The study highlights that, "the integration of various transport modes would not only have a positive impact in environmental terms, but also on the quality of life and would save USD 266 billion per year to the world’s 30 largest megacities. With more than 1 billion smartphones in the world, the conditions to provide access to information in real time, anywhere, are already in place”.