Features

Objective 1: Develop a security index for last-mile transit access routes

The transit stops of an urban area would be rated on the basis of available historic crime reports, socio-economic characteristics of the area, land use, etc. In addition, data pertaining to the transit characteristics will be collected from relevant agencies, including data on routes that provide service to the particular stop, service hours, daily passenger boarding/alighting data, etc. 

Subsequently, an audit assessment of the access routes will be carried out to rate the various infrastructural elements in terms of their security potential, both from the point of view of the users as well as the experts. Such elements may include quality of pavement & pedestrian infrastructure, quality of lighting, presence of shops/street vendors, front/back openings of homes/shops along the route, availability of law enforcement patrol routes, etc. These three data elements will form the basis for developing the security index for the last-mile transit access route.

Objective 2: Develop a decision-making tool for transit users’ access

A mobile application will be developed, which will enable the transit user to choose an access route to/from a transit stop. The logical choice of the access route will be arrived at by using -

1. base information that is used to develop the security index (as discussed earlier), 

2. live crowd-sourced information relating to the security aspects along the last-mile route, 

3. user familiarity with the neighborhood and the distance/time taken to reach the trip end, 

4. mode of access, and 

5. time of day. 

The mobile application will provide her with options of either (1) walking alone, (2) pairing her with another person who is going to the same area, or (3) pairing her with a paratransit service. Finally, in case of an emergency, while traversing the last mile, the application will allow her to send alerts to law enforcement/friends/family. These outputs of the technology application will enable the users to traverse a secure route, which may likely result in increased transit ridership.

Objective 3: Testing, implementing, and disseminating the proof of concept (PoC)

The technology solution will be developed and tested at a case study location for a trial pilot period before implementing the proof of concept in the candidate locations. Several workshops will be conducted to gather feedback from stakeholders and users during and after implementation. Team members will also publish and present the findings from the project in scientific journals and conferences. Active outreach activities through local NGOs as well as media platforms will be carried out to ensure the project's visibility. Finally, these activities will enable the project team to develop future scalability options for the solution.

The project consists of three key technologies that converge to form TUTEM:

● So far, in India, no dedicated system constantly monitors the safety and security in and around Urban Transit Transfer Points (UTTPs). Further, to the best of our knowledge, there is no formal process to review the safety and security of a transit system and its users. This is the first attempt in India to use crowd-sourced information for the safety and security ratings of UTTPs. It will support transit users in making well-informed decisions on safe and secure first and last-mile connections.

● The available navigation systems provide routes based on distance or travel time. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to develop an algorithm that considers various available safety and security indicators to suggest a potentially safer route for transit users in their first and last-mile connections. A Transit user can use such guidance to adopt safer routes in their first and last-mile connections.

● Pairing passengers in ride-sharing is common. However, this is the first attempt to develop a similar system that can identify safe route options and pair pre-verified transit users in their first and last-mile connections. Moreover, the system provides at least two alternatives and a user safety rating.