Role of AI in Smart Transportation Systems: Enhancing Efficiency and Safety

Integration of AI in transportation systems is shaping urban mobility in more than one way, generating ample curiosity about the role it could assume in the years to come.

October 17, 2024. By News Bureau

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IGowise Mobility

Efficiency and Safety

Smart Transportation Systems

Urban transportation system

Urban passenger transportation

Electric fleet management

Electric Vehicles

India’s urban transportation system has undergone a massive shift, especially in the last 4-5 years. Amid the developments shaping this landscape, factors like demand for sustainability, electrification, and technological advancement stood out the most. With India becoming the most populated country in the world, its towns and cities are becoming more congested each day. It is driving the general public to clamour for a smart, efficient transportation system to tackle the lag.

As a result, the sector is embracing technological advancements, including AI, to optimize urban planning strategies for boosting the safety and efficiency of commutes. The most prominent applications of the technology can be seen across the board in the urban passenger transportation system as well as in Quick-commerce, and most importantly, emergency services. Integration of AI in transportation systems is shaping urban mobility in more than one way, generating ample curiosity about the role it could assume in the years to come.

Accelerating Quick Commerce Boom
Ever since consumers became familiar with the concept of quick commerce, it has become an instant hit. A part of this popularity can be credited to the convenience Q-commerce services offer consumers. However, without advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, it wouldn’t have been possible to support the entire concept of ensuring 10-15 minute delivery.

AI-powered Machine Learning algorithms are adept at predicting demand patterns, which helps to optimize routes in real-time situations. For instance, AI-powered electric fleet management platforms can help analyze traffic conditions more precisely and adjust routes to avoid congestion. This function is most useful in cities like Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi, which record a high volume of vehicle movement throughout the day.

The sheer scale of optimization and prediction capability that happens at each dark store is phenomenal. From which goods are to be restocked and how frequently to which category of vehicle to be used to restock for faster turnaround. Using a pickup truck to stock just a few items is inefficient and time-consuming. This has even trickled down to the creation of new category vehicles, such as the narrow, tilting trikes that offer better capacity and comfort without compromising on speed and stability.

While the agility and compact size of these vehicles allow them to navigate overcrowded streets and lanes swiftly, the born electric format helps them contribute to sustainability and traffic decongestion through reduced carbon footprint, energy footprint, and road footprint.

Quick Access to Emergency Services
Every year around 1.5 lakh people lose their lives in road accidents, while many succumb to fatalities due to delays in receiving medical assistance. The concerning figure highlights the crucial nature of emergency response time in reversing situations that could otherwise turn fatal. Unfortunately, in India, most roads are congested, which hinders emergency service paramedics from even reaching the incident site on time.

With cities like Bengaluru and Pune having made it to the world’s top 10 most traffic-hit cities, it is time to implement planning strategies to lower response time. In this regard, two of the lowest-hanging fruits are implementing AI TMS models and building compact vehicles. Within 1.5 years, Mumbai traffic police created 90 green corridors to ferry medical teams and emergency patients across hospitals in the city. With the help of AI-backed smart traffic management systems, we can establish more ‘green corridors’ for ambulances and help clear routes.

The technology can further help optimize the design of innovative lightEVs like e-narrow-tilting trikes for compact and affordable ambulance and RSA services. These smart vehicles are ideal for navigating crowded areas and can significantly reduce emergency response times.

Smart Traffic Management to Combat Congestion
The average speed in cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai drops to less than 15 kmph during peak hours. It is estimated that productivity worth Rs 20,000 crore and 7 lakh hours are lost annually in Bengaluru alone.

Recognizing the need for smart traffic management, more Indian states are leveraging AI solutions. For instance, the Transport Department of Sikkim, Bengaluru, and Nagpur have implemented AI-driven Traffic Management Systems to modernize management and improve traffic regulation.
Real-time data from sensors, cameras, and GPS devices could aid AI in optimizing traffic signals and diverting traffic flow during rush hours to less crowded areas. Additionally, traffic management can be streamlined further by integrating narrow light electric vehicles, such as two-wheelers and trikes, in AI-optimized systems. These energy-efficient, lightweight vehicles take up less space and can navigate traffic jams easily during rush hour.

Improved Urban Planning
According to the World Bank, in 2036 Indian towns and cities will harbor 40% of the population, which is up from 31% in 2011. The increasing rate of urbanization in our country further necessitates the adoption of urban planning tactics. Today, AI models are being used to simulate new infrastructure projects in smart cities under India’s Smart Cities Mission and understand their impact on traffic and mobility. For instance, the AI-backed Traffic Management System on the Pune Expressway monitors traffic and pedestrian movement and helps optimize public transport efficiency by predicting demand and lags. These systems can also help analyze copious volumes of data sets on traffic patterns and population density. The insights can assist planners in designing smarter and more efficient transportation networks to accommodate future growth.

Connected vehicle technology and ADAS system-led urban mobility
Advancements in AI-powered transportation have paved the way for auto-summoning technology and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in light electric vehicles. These advanced systems can enable users to hail a vehicle via smartphone quickly and offer a reliable alternative in locations where consumers often have to deal with price surges and ride cancellations.

On the other hand, ADAS-equipped light EVs encompass features like collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping. Due to these, ADAS technologies are being increasingly adopted in two- and three-wheelers. Collectively, they can enhance safety and improve traffic flow. With our nation aiming to achieve 30% electrification of vehicles by 2030, the ADAS systems in light EVs are expected to reshape urban mobility in the next few years.

Many electric two-wheelers have already implemented a fire-detection system and a fall-detection mechanism for better post-incident assistance. Now it is time to go ‘beyond and implement both fire-prevention systems and fall-prevention mechanisms.

In these ways, AI is shaping the smart transportation system. Integrating AI with smart transportation initiatives and electric mobility, India’s transportation segment is redefining safety, sustainability, and efficiency. As more cities adopt smart city strategies and focus on sustainable transportation, the role of AI will evolve significantly.

- Sravan Appana, Co-Founder, iGowise Mobility