ADB congratulates the venture formed by IIT Bombay (lead), BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, IIT Kharagpur, and LocationMind, Inc. for winning the Transport Technology Innovation Challenge (TIC), which is supported and financed by the High-Level Technology (HLT) Fund.
The project, TUTEM: Technologies for Urban Transit to Enhance Mobility and Safe Accessibility, aims to enhance the last-mile security & safety of transit passengers by providing commuters with safe access en route to transit stations through mobile applications/features. The project will develop security ratings for access routes to urban transit transfer points (UTTPs), safely pair users with secure paratransit operators, develop a speed dialing system for distressed passengers, and finally demonstrate the system as a proof of concept (PoC).
The ADB Technology Innovation Challenge (TIC) calls for technology providers to submit proposals for innovative solutions to address a specific development challenge that ADB teams have identified. The winning proposal is awarded a grant to accelerate implementation of proposed technology solutions. TIC is being implemented under the knowledge and support technical assistance “Support for Innovation and Technology Partnerships in Asia and the Pacific – Subproject 3: High-Level Technology Application to Address Development Challenges,” which is financed on a grant basis by the High-Level Technology Fund and administered by ADB.
Challenge Theme: Transport – Improve security for public transport users
ADB grantee Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India)
HLT solution: Mobile app that aims to enhance security of first- and last-mile public transport users
Demonstration site: Hyderabad, India
GFA negotiations: 5 March 2022–23 May 2023
Grant signing: 25 May 2023
Project Duration: 18 months (1 August 2023–31 January 2025)
Grant: $399,504
Implementation lead: Kaushal K. Sahu, Senior Project Officer (Transport), India Resident Mission (INRM), South Asia Department (SARD)
Description of the HLT solution and TIC project:
- A mobile based application will be created and tested in Hyderabad.
- The technology aims to enhance last-mile security and safety of transit passengers and give passengers an option to choose the safest mode/route of the transit through the mobile application platform.
- A user-friendly interactive system will be developed where passenger can get real-time information about the city’s transit network and public and para transportation system’s operation.
- The technology includes safety and security rating dashboard for urban transit transfer points and its adjoining area; pairing users among themselves and with pre-verified local paratransit systems for first and last mile routes; and speed dialing system for the distressed passenger.