Data company progresses public transport mapping project in developing world

Source: Smart Cities World Published: September 18, 2020

Mobility data specialist WhereIsMyTransport has announced plans to map the formal and informal public transport networks of the developing world’s (the Majority World) 30 major cities by 2023.

The company will manage and maintain all data sets, keeping them up-to-date as these cities expand. It aims to help governments and cities in developing countries better understand how their transport systems are used.

Mapping metro areas

Most recently, WhereIsMyTransport mapped – and now maintains datasets for – the public transport networks in Mexico City, Dhaka, and the province of Gauteng in South Africa. These metro areas have a combined population of more than 55 million. The company will collect public transport data in the remaining 27 cities, of which 19 are megacities (populations greater than 10 million).

“We have been working towards this since we began collecting public transport data in emerging markets in 2015,” said Devin de Vries, CEO, WhereIsMyTransport. “The production and maintenance of this mobility data is a fundamental first step towards transforming the public transport experience for hundreds of millions of people, and with it the social, cultural and economic landscape of these cities.”