What are some of the new sustainable transport solutions and what can ordinary citizens do to contribute? In connection with the second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, Aishwarya Raman, Head of Research at the Ola Mobility Institute in India, joined our virtual studio to discuss.
Ms. Raman emphasized the importance of shared, connected, electric, artificial intelligence-powered and autonomous mobility. She said that shared mobility limits the unfettered growth of motorized transport and incentivizes the switch towards public transit. This connected mobility and AI-powered mobility enhance safety and improve the passenger experience. Furthermore, electric mobility has already become reality, accelerated by technologies and policies.
¡°What we need now is a concentrated push from multiple stakeholders to scale these initiatives out and ensure that these mobilities are widely available to everybody and are widely accepted as well,¡± she said.
Ms. Raman also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence in making mobility more sustainable, efficient, resilient, affordable, and accessible. AI can also help make transport safer, particularly for women and girls, who often experience vulnerabilities when traveling from one place to another. For example, she cites her company¡¯s Ola Guardian program as improving ride safety through its real-time customer ride-monitoring system that analyses ride indicators such as route deviations, unexpected and midway stops, and connects riders with additional support.
¡°I think, therefore, adopting such mobility innovations ensures that we are leveraging the fourth industrial revolution to its full potential,¡± she said.
For ordinary people who want to contribute to sustainable transport, Ms. Raman recommended they continue to take sustainable modes of transport as much as possible. They could also purchase electric vehicles (EVs), if they can afford them and if they need to own their own car. They could also demand robust EV and zero-emissions mobility policies from local transport leaders.
Hear more from Aishwarya Raman in our .
