Demand for smart tech soars to ease daily commute

BANGALORE, INDIA: Increasing population and traffic congestion in cities is fuelling demand for ‘smart city’ transport technologies in India, according to a new MasterCard study.

A strong interest has been seen in India for cars that drive themselves, as well as cars that can re-program a travel route to avoid congestion.

Pollution arising from the use of private cars has become unsustainable throughout the country. In India, 59 per cent of respondents mentioned that they are using cars less often for journeys.

The focus has shifted towards public transport and the success of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Ahmedabad has encouraged other Indian cities to adopt the system.

The provision of real-time travel information will also be key factor in encouraging the use of public transport over private. 64 per cent of the respondents from India said they will be interested in a smartphone or tablet app that provided real-time travel updates. 37 per cent of Indians surveyed already use smartphone travel apps at least once a month.

People in cities likes Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai feel that the local governments could be doing more to leverage new technology to improve urban transport services.

The report has unveiled that the governments of emerging markets like India are recognizing the importance of data in providing better services, while over half of urban residents are happy to share their user data to improve transport in their cities. The report shows how effective mobile devices can be in aiding more efficient travel, through mobile payment, real-time travel updates or map services.

Vikas Varma, Executive Director, South Asia, MasterCard said, "Indian cities are becoming increasingly congested. To move around and commute with greater ease, Indians have developed an affinity for technology that simplify their lives and provide them access to services. The latest MasterCard report indicates consumers are willing to provide their usage data and information consumption patterns if there is a surety of that data improving everyday transport. Our report shows that people want local governments to take better advantage of technology to improve services.”