- Were certain travel characteristics valued for certain activities, such as managed lanes offering reliability and transit providing lifeline transportation to those who needed it?
- How much of an impact did the shutdown/slowdown of public transit, micro-transit, TNC (Transportation Network Companies), etc. have on populations that do not own vehicles or have easy access to them?
- What role can the digital infrastructure have, such as smartphones, in developing the mobility of public transportation, as well as crowdsourcing have in the future development of public transportation?
Three question that deserve a multitude of answers. Let me link the latter two. The concept of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) uses different means of transportation and mobility services in an integrated manner through one channel, one passenger information system and one payment. MaaS is only enabled through modern information and communication technology (incl. sensors, smart phones and many more). Digital transformation in the services coming with public transport enables new processes that enable all types of populations to have easier access to mobility options even in case of shutdown / slowdown.
Transportation is no doubt a core component of socio-economic development. It is evident in various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) drafted in Agenda 2030.
- As far as the first point is concerned, I would like you to give some more examples so that it can be further discussed.
- There were both positive as well negative impacts seen due to the lockdown of the public transit system. Since the latter is quite understood, I would like to throw some light on the former. It was seen that the use of green modes including walking and cycling increased manifolds. I suggest going through the text in the following link: https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/made-on-earth/the-great-bicycle-boom-of-2020.html
- I believe that robust digital infrastructure and ICT are going to be the backbone of transportation systems. These, if utilized systematically and smartly will be useful to optimize the transportation systems towards sustainability that are socially equitable and economically viable.