IBI Group’s Intelligent Systems & Transit Data Teams Support Pandemic Responses Across North America & the UK
Transportation, both personal and commercial, is a sector that has been greatly impacted by the various regional regulations put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. Leveraging IBI-developed technology already deployed in Canada, the United States and Scotland, our systems designers and transit-data specialists are developing solutions to keep motorists informed and safe on the roads, and are providing operators the information they need to formulate strategic responses to the virus.
IBI Group worked with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to develop its 511 Ontario mobile application for iOS and Android users, which includes the Trucker Mode feature recently deployed on the existing 511 ON website. Our Trucker Mode add-on enables commercial vehicle operators to access valuable information about the essential touch points along their transit routes, including service and rest stations that will remain open throughout the crisis. Alongside the MTO, our team is working swiftly to ensure that critical supply chains remain operational as the province moves to respond more broadly to the pandemic.
Our toll systems professionals are helping our clients ensure seamless and safe transactions for motorists and operators alike. In the United States, Canada, and Greece, we’ve enabled our clients to accept contactless credit card payments and deploy self-serve payment machines. We are also helping clients respond to the fast-rising demand for electronic toll collection accounts, and are facilitating an increased shift toward contactless, transponder-facilitated transactions. Beyond toll collection, we are also supporting toll systems operators monitor violation activity by ensuring they are equipped with relevant video tolling technology and the requisite data recording and processing capabilities.
In Scotland, we responded rapidly to the country’s call for support via its national transportation agency. Following the government’s appeal that Scottish residents remain sheltered in place over Easter weekend, Transport Scotland was keen to establish live monitoring of traffic flows on remote routes to popular destinations across the Highlands. Working with our partners at Tracsis, we were able to deliver live reporting functionality using our existing Bluetooth monitoring tool within hours of Transport Scotland’s request to support situational awareness and decision-making across partner agencies. 20 battery-powered detectors were deployed to remote locations and connected to the existing system overnight; volumetric data was then collated and reported throughout the weekend, demonstrating the nation’s positive response to its government’s wishes.
We are further supporting transit agencies by offering free access to our open source, web-based Data Tools platform, which enables our clients to create, edit and manage General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data. Within the platform, transit agencies are able to update service calendars to reflect adjusted schedules as a result of the pandemic. This includes removing route or trip patterns that are no longer in service, including temporary shuttle-service routes, and reviewing histogram data produced by the agency’s scheduling software, organized by trips per day or in a timetable view. Our efforts to enable transit agencies with the data and analysis they need to respond to the pandemic are ongoing; if your agency needs assistance with GTFS data, please contact ritesh.warade@IBIGroup.com.
Pictured Above: The Scottish Highlands, often part of the journey to populous destinations in the region (also pictured below)
Pictured Below: Ontario 511 mobile application; Mackinac Bridge Toll Collection System in St. Ignace, Michigan; IBI Group’s open source Data Tools platform
