Artificial Intelligence-backed 'City Brain' revs up bus services in Dubai
- 24 Jul 2021
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)’s precautionary measures contributed to almost bring back public transport ridership at the pre-COVID-19 levels, said Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer on Saturday.
Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, revealed that the transport body’s initiatives applied to the scheduling and operation of public buses, marine transit means, and taxis, had accelerated the recovery from the pandemic.
The new initiatives also contributed to improving the bus on-time arrival by 6%, reducing the number of kilometres travelled by 18%, and cutting carbon emissions by 34 metric tonnes, Tayer added.
Recently in a project launched by the RTA, in cooperation with Alibaba Cloud, to trial the "City Brain" system to manage traffic in urban areas using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The system analysis a large number of data received from Nol cards. Then it converts the big data into useful information that could be used in sending instant notifications and improving bus schedules and routes.
The RTA chairman stated that the new system is expected to improve the bus ridership by 17%, average waiting time by 10%.
The Dubai transport authority, in cooperation with FAMCO, has recently inaugurated a remote Bus Performance Monitoring Centre Al Quoz Bus Depot, for instant tracking and monitoring the performance efficiency of RTA’s new 516 Volvo buses fitted with Telematics system.
The system, which enhances the operational and maintenance processes includes 47 types of alerts covering mechanical aspects, fuel consumption per kilometre, and the condition of the safety equipment on board.
It contributed to reducing fuel consumption by 5% and supported the planning for periodic and preventive maintenance of buses. Al Tayer stressed that RTA would continue to roll out public transport projects and integrated infrastructure and facilities and recalled that RTA had recently opened six public bus stations at Al Ghubaiba, Al Jafiliya, Etisalat, Union, Oud Metha and Al Satwa stations.