By Rohit Sharma, COO, AbhiBus
Technology has truly revolutionised the mobility sector by transforming the way people look at commuting from one place to another. The continuous development of emerging technologies like smart sensors, blockchain, and artificial intelligence have fueled innovations in the mobility sector.
The groundbreaking technological solutions in the mobility domain have provided significant benefits for transport users, particularly by increasing transport efficiency and improving the travel experience that involves much more flexibility and a higher sense of comfort. There is a significant reason why Rail and Flights have seen digital adoption in the past decade while for Buses there are still merely double digital bookings happening online. Bus OTA’s are bridging that technological gap by giving travelers reasons to book buses online instead of the traditional hop-on and hop-off method. Rohit Sharma, COO, AbhiBus – highest rated bus booking platform shares some technological trends driving the Bus mobility sector in India.
The Indian bus sector has been a crucial element of the country’s transportation infrastructure and has therefore played a significant role in connecting people across different regions. It has been witnessed that the sector has actually received a significant boost owing to the recent advancements in technology. Mentioned here are some major trends that are powering the bus mobility sector in India:
Incorporation of GPS Tracking Systems: In recent times, the concept of Live tracking has become a major necessity in the bus industry. The sector has incorporated GPS devices in buses in order to track their location in real-time. This allows passengers to possess the live location of their respective booked buses through the mobile apps of the bus operators or third-party service providers. Moreover, some of these live tracking systems are also successful in providing alerts and notifications to passengers with respect to delays, route changes, or other crucial information regarding their journey.
Accessibility To Online Portals For Seat Reservation: The enhancements in technology have made the idea of booking seats on buses extremely convenient. If you’re a frequent traveler, you’d be aware that the reservation of a seat of choice always holds a high priority for the passenger. To cater to the same, many bus operators now have their own online portals and applications where passengers can check seat availability and book tickets online. These portals display the available seats on a bus in real-time, allowing passengers to choose the seats of their choice.
Application Of Artificial Intelligence for Pink Seat Tags: The following technological trend is very useful in scenarios where the adjacent seat is booked for a female passenger in a bus traveling during night hours. Artificial Intelligence along with other software is used to automatically tag the seats as ‘Pink Seats’. The concept of Pink Seats has been welcomed by many women passengers as it helps them feel safe and secure while traveling in public transport.
Selection of Buses Best Suited For Travellers: When you are embarking on a journey, it becomes key to plan your travel, with the selection of the bus being one of the more important aspects. Through the advancements in technology, passengers are now free to select the right bus for themselves in accordance with their budget as well as their comfort. The added facility of being able to view photos of the buses and their condition prior to the journey is instrumental in reducing the stress levels of a traveler. Moreover, after thorough browsing, travelers can book a bus ticket that suits all of their needs.
Customer Reviews & Ratings Of Bus Travel: Often, in the initial stages of planning the journey, customers find it useful to check the ratings and reviews about the respective buses. A very common aspect of online platforms, many bus service providers allow passengers to check the necessary ratings and reviews before booking tickets. The ratings are essentially usually based on customer feedback and can provide a good indication of the quality of the bus. Moreover, checking the bus ratings can assist passengers in making informed decisions about their travel and ensure they are traveling in a safe and comfortable vehicle.
Enhanced AI Assistance A Gamechanger for Travel Convenience: The use of Artificial Intelligence assists in many aspects of bus travel right from route planning, real-time monitoring, and passenger information, all the way to ticketing. It can help reduce travel duration, and congestion, while also improving on-time performance. The following also helps in analysing data from sensors and other sources in order to identify potential maintenance issues, reduce downtime, improve reliability, and enhance the customer’s experience.
The way forward
In India, the bus mobility market is at a pivotal point that promises to be both dynamic and transformational. Smart, linked transportation technology is becoming more common, and it has the potential to profoundly alter how people live, move, and interact with mass transit systems.
The bus mobility sector can achieve a variety of objectives with the use of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the growing accessibility of edge computing solutions. These developments aid the bus service providers in streamlining their infrastructure, while also managing all of their onboard and backhaul systems efficiently and affordably. In addition, it also becomes incredibly helpful with regard to the processing system and security data for informative insights and for improving user experience.