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[SDG 11.2] Using conversational AI to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all

 

With the recent release of chatGPT, it made me wonder: what is the future for artificial intelligence in public transport systems?

At Nibebe, we have attempted to answer this question by creating a transit app that can be accessed offline via SMS or online through popular social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, and Slack. This approach recognizes that many people already have a lot of apps on their devices. Our app hopes to connect disadvantaged communities through offline mobility services.

Our app is similar to Uber or Bolt, but it is more accessible to drivers without smartphones. Drivers can register, get verified, and start receiving ride requests using SMS, USSD, or social media, without having to download the app. In addition, our simplified conversational and multilingual interface allows drivers to update their locations periodically, so they only receive ride requests from nearby riders.

We believe that conversational searches are faster because a rider can put all their queries in one message and receive an instant reply. For example, to request a ride using our chatbot, a rider can simply type, "I need a cab from Makumbusho to Posta at 6pm." The chatbot then gives them a list of nearby drivers ordered according to their distance away.

Public Transport Assistant on Telegram
Fig 1: Our transit assistant bot nicknamed Konda as it appears on Telegram 

 

Contacts of nearby drivers
Fig 2: Get contacts of nearby drivers
Public transport and ridesharing
Fig 3: Konda does not only create carpools but also gives public transport directions

Current skills for our travel assistant include:

  • Requesting rides on demand, providing the user with a list of drivers and their phone numbers
  • Planning a journey using public transportation, using data crowdsourced by commuters and processed into GTFS format
  • Creating carpools, allowing riders to arrange their preferred mode of transport and share the travel cost with Nibebe.app drivers or other ride-hailing apps
  • Supporting offline drivers using a feature phone, catering to the majority of drivers who do not own smartphones and cannot enroll in typical ride-hailing apps like Uber and Bolt

Our roadmap includes:

  • Selling tickets for city transportation agencies as a result increasing ridership for agencies like DART and TRC by allowing pre-ordering tickets through the app
  • Real-time alerts to commuters by integrating with transport agencies using GTFS-R
  • Integrating the assistant with other smart conversational systems like Alexa and Google Assistant to make it easier for users to interact with the app

In conclusion, our vision is to provide mobility services to everyone, regardless of their internet access, using SMS, USSD, social media, and our AI assistant. Our app allows users to request rides, create carpools, get public transport directions, and purchase public transport tickets, all without downloading the app.