Improving Public Transport Efficiency in Mauritius using Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things solutions

Abstract

Bus transport has been an important driver of the economic growth of Mauritius for decades. In recent years, it has been facing several challenges, such as competition from the Metro Express and an inability to upgrade its services. In addition, public buses still face inefficiencies that discourage the public to travel by them. These include bus drivers tending to drive slowly on purpose or dangerously fast resulting in their schedules at bus stops being unreliable. This paper exploits advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing and big data analytics to enhance the efficiency of bus operations and provide a better service to the public. It presents the design and implementation of a microcontroller-based system that uses real-time data from onboard camera and GPS to monitor the condition of the road and the bus speed. The system can detect whether the bus is driving too fast or purposely too slow and upload pictures as proof. A web application is also developed to process data uploaded by the system on the cloud to provide the passengers with the exact location of the buses on a map so that they can better plan their trip.