Stratio
The Role of Public Transport in Solving the Climate Crisis
This article first appeared in the Bus-News magazine, Issue 1 2023.
It is no secret that the transport industry is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions. Many of the discussions around reducing the environmental impact of transportation revolve around the electrification of vehicles, which is certainly both a necessity and a priority.
However, to meet climate goals, the approach needs to be two-pronged: we must transition to EVs, while also reducing the number of cars on our roads by incentivising the use of public transport services.
One of the main reasons people cite when explaining why they choose to use their own vehicles over bus services is that they deem the service unreliable. The mentality of “if the bus comes late, next time I’ll use my car” has fuelled today’s car addiction and is a challenge for operators to overcome.
Thankfully, technology has made immense leaps in recent years, and can now offer transport operators with the visibility and the predictive insights they need to guarantee a reliable service to passengers. With AI-powered predictive maintenance, operators can identify faults before they cause a breakdown, use realtime data on the wear and tear of parts to optimise operational efficiency, and provide a maximised service that removes unplanned downtime from the equation. This would give passengers the certainty that, when they get the bus, the vehicle will reliably transport them to their destination without disruptions.
In terms of EV transition, predictive maintenance can also be leveraged to accelerate the achievement of cost neutrality. EVs are, on average, 50% more expensive than a traditional internal combustion engine bus. This means that transport operators need to keep their electric buses on the road for more time and for longer distances in order to make a return on investment. With predictive maintenance, operators can maximise vehicle availability and keep their vehicles on the road where they should be, serving passengers.
