In Africa, public transport means minibuses owned by individuals and operating on a cash basis, often under the radar of city authorities, says the writer. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA) Archives
Africa with its growing youth population is probably the continent most positioned to take advantage of a slew of new technologies, applications and AI to advance public transport across the region.
The term Digital Transportation refers to advanced applications which aim to provide innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management.
As Africa continues to grow, a reliable and safe public transport system is required to get Africans to and from their destinations, especially since the continent has some of the most congested cities in the world.
Easy and effortless public transport is the backbone of a flourishing economy. In Africa, public transport means minibuses owned by individuals and operating on a cash basis, often under the radar of city authorities.
They don’t want to be visible on a digital platform, says Dr Herrie Schalekamp from the University of Cape Town, who has been looking into transport in Africa over the last few years. He says where digital is working so far is in Lagos, in response to a particular local need.
“Getting hold of small-denomination currency is difficult and there were always rows with bus drivers, so it’s in operators’ interests to have a digital system,” says Schalekamp, citing a Reuters report.
In West Africa, a new pre-payment platform, Gona, is enabling cashless payments on a fleet of minibuses. Commuters simply scan a QR code for the vehicle they want to travel on.
Digital Transport for Africa (DT4A) represents a large, diverse network of city governments, residents, universities, civic technology companies and collectives as well as international development partners committed to building digital systems and applying the Principles for Digital Development to the goals of sustainable urban mobility and access.
Most African cities rely on some form of semi-formal transport, often minibuses, dominated by fragmented private operators. These transit systems provide a much needed service for many, at no cost to the city.
But these services also bring a host of challenges to cities, contributing to traffic congestion, pollution and poor road safety. DT4A says that digital technologies are a tremendous opportunity to address these challenges.
Public transport data is currently missing for planning integrated public transport, designing passenger information systems, and working with operators to upgrade transit services.
The World Bank says that as a leader in payment innovation, Africa’s experience showcases how other parts of the world can leverage these digital technologies to leapfrog in their development.