In
many bustling urban cities around the world, policy makers and
regulators are becoming increasingly focused on creating sustainable
solutions that effectively address the rising vehicular congestion that
these cities experience.
In
Lagos, Nigeria, traffic and congestion is something inhabitants grapple
with on a daily basis.According to recent reports made by Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode, the population of Lagos State now stands at over 24
million – equivalent in number to 30 African cities combined. By 2050,
it is estimated that the population of Lagos could top 35 million. These
growth will no doubt put additional pressure on the city’s
infrastructure. Perhaps a crucial question is: how will the inhabitants
of Lagos get from point A to B? What transportation systems and
infrastructure are needed to serve the rapidly burgeoning population?
Last
year, Governor Ambode reinforced this sentiment in his plans to replace
the yellow buses popularly known as “danfo” with a more efficient bus
transport system in Lagos State. This is no doubt a positive development
as it is indicative of an intention to reduce congestion and pollution,
as well as pave the way for an efficient mass transportation system
that would move Lagos faster towards its goal of becoming a Smart City.
In envisioning Lagos as a Smart City, specifically within the
transportation and mobility sectors, it is important to begin to think
of a city where we have fewer vehicles on the roads and there is
convenient access to other mobility options such as rail, waterways,
air, etc., for people to move around.
We
must also begin to think about the fact that fewer cars on the roads
naturally means a decrease in carbon emissions and congestion. This also
means that places in cities previously set aside and designed around
cars, such as wide roads for high traffic volumes as well as
space-intensive parkades and parking lots, can be given back to the city
and its people. What could this mean for a city like Lagos? Think of a
greener, less congested, and more liveable city.
At
Uber, we believe that a better future is within our grasp. One of our
core objectives is to support and complement existing public
transportation infrastructure. Through cars registered to use the
Uber App, we are helping commuters cover the “last mile” of their
journeys around the world. In cities like Amsterdam and London, for
example, over 25% of Uber rides during morning rush hour go to and from
local train stations, further establishing that people use Uber to
complement existing forms of transportation. We believe that shared
mobility enabled by technology has the potential to contribute to better
and more efficient cities. This is why we are partnering with public
transport providers and other app-based mobility solutions (such as car
and bike sharing services) around the world.
In
the near future, it will be entirely possible to complete certain
journeys across cities utilizing many options made possible via the Uber
Platform App. A rider’s daily commute could be completed using one or
more options like a shared JUMP bike, uberPOOL or, uberX. While not all
of these options are currently available in Africa – it does mean that
some of the solutions to creating less congested cities already exist.
And for a megacity like Lagos, this is definitely a positive
development.
Uber
is expanding its offerings to help create a new future of
transportation – one that reduces individual car ownership, expands
access to transportation and helps governments plan future
transportation investments. From bikes to pooled rides, we are always
looking to offer more ways to get around without needing to own or buy a
car. A year ago at the first Uber Elevate Summit, we announced our
initial partnerships with companies that make aircrafts, high speed
chargers and manage major real estate portfolios. We also unveiled a
collaborative plan with the cities of Dallas and Fort-Worth to create
the first metropolitan area in United States with an urban aviation
rideshare network. At this year’s Elevate Summit, our CEO Dara
Khosrowshahi affirmed an upward shift in the mobility conversations
saying: “We think cities are going to go vertical in terms of
transportation, and we want to make that a reality.” With products like
uberAIR we want to make it possible for people to push a button and get a
flight – uberAIR takes that approach and our technology to new heights.
Technology
is increasingly at the core of how people move around their cities and
we must harness it to create sustainable options to drive transportation
systems around the world. As Lagos, Nigeria and indeed the whole of
Sub-Saharan Africa make the move towards enabling smart cities –
technology will play a critical role in improving urban mobility.
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