Connected, intelligent transportation for a future-ready Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila’s growing transportation needs call for innovative solutions that use technology to transform the way Filipinos travel. Congestion, road and rail incidents, and traffic gridlocks are best dealt with forward-thinking approaches and smart solutions.

In a recent study, it was concluded that without intervention, traffic costs will likely increase to P6 billion a day by 2030 compared to the present P2.4 billion a day. Daily gridlocks continue to plague Metro Manila as the growth in the number of cars outpaces the completion of road improvements.

According to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI), the volume of vehicles in September 2014 grew a massive 41.7 percent compared to the same month in 2013 despite more than a hundred ongoing road projects and intermittent interruptions to the city’s train services.

Smart, connected transport solutions can address these city-wide transportation problems. Unmanageable traffic flow can be resolved quickly and effectively with real-time traffic management using connected networks. Cameras connected to the Internet, sensors, applications, and Wi-Fi infrastructure will let traffic authorities see and solve traffic conditions in real time.

Guided by timely and relevant data from these solutions, roads, stop-lights, U-turn slots and other road equipment can be properly placed and utilized to decongest and ease traffic. In the long term, data analytics can further provide insight to traffic patterns for urban planners and traffic authorities.

Connected transport solutions can also manage large crowds and manage the breaks that occur in the country’s mass railway train system. Connected transport solutions can determine a train’s location and speed while augmenting safety measures. If warnings are ignored or cannot be addressed with human input, the system will automatically apply the brakes to slow down or stop the train.

Connections to video analytics can also count commuters present in stations and in trains. These can alert train operators and engineers to address growing crowds within the railway system.

“The Philippines has been experiencing sustained economic growth and, as a consequence, more people commuting to work and traveling for leisure, given the increased employment and disposable income. For our transport infrastructure to handle this surge in commuters, connecting the previously unconnected transport modes will provide transport authorities, urban planning councils, and even emergency services with the knowledge and data to make critical decisions,” said Cisco Philippines country manager Louie Castañeda. “These decisions and traffic management outcomes will increase the competitiveness of the Philippines by reducing travel delays and increasing the efficiency and safety of our commuters so we can work better, enjoy our trips more, and be truly at ease when traveling and commuting via road, rail and other means of transport,” he added.

The Internet of Everything is no longer a technological aspiration of the future; the possibilities are here and now. A private car can have an attached sensor which is connected to the Internet. This sensor can provide data on the driving time and patterns, route, fuel consumption, engine temperature, and even driver fatigue. Data from the sensors can alert the driver, through an application on the smartphone, with real-time information on traffic congestion, availability of parking spots in the vicinity, accident updates, and even hazard reports.

Through mobile apps and system-wide digital signages, commuters can see when buses arrive, plan the most efficient way to reach their destination, and receive real-time updates. In addition to reducing congestion in the city, the satisfaction rate of public transportation services increased from under 50 percent to over 85 percent.