Drives through modern cities across the world can be so comfortable. For the passenger, knowledge of the routes is not important because the GIS/GPS on the cab's dashboard gives constant route directions. And there are regular traffic updates for avoiding high traffic areas. These give the passenger a feeling of comfort and security. This is in complete contrast to a ride in a cab or three-wheeler on the Indian roads. Right from the word go, you are being taken for a ride-both literally and on wheels. If you are unfamiliar with the roads and are not on a fixed fare, you will end up with a good round trip of the city. How one wishes that taxis in our Indian metros also had GPSs which could guide them on the shortest routes! That they were connected to central control rooms which gave them the latest information on traffic build-ups, roadblocks, etc. And anytime the driver went off the prescribed route, the passenger would be warned.

Such technologies are also very useful for all male drivers in India. I am told by the women in my life that all males find it a problem to ask for directions from people on the road. I agree. India has a lot of people available to give road directions. So very often you end up getting too many directions-and incorrect ones. Technology based solutions would be infinitely superior-and trustworthy.

Apart from helping common folk find their way more efficiently, transport networks can get huge benefits in fleet management by use of global positioning systems. If a plan to network and connect the public transport system in Indian cities is in the pipeline, it's not common knowledge. There are, however, many fragmented efforts that keep happening. Indore claims it is one of the first cities to run GPS-fitted public buses.

Chandigarh plans to introduce GPS/GIS in its premier cabs in an effort to improve the quality of public transport. One must add, however, that Chandigarh is a well planned city where it is difficult to get lost. The Tamil Nadu government has a pilot project for installing GPS-based systems in three state-run buses. The Rs 3-crore project is being implemented by IIIT-B. The real-time tracking system is expected to remove passenger travel worries of uncertainty and delays. The state will add onboard telematic units with GPS receivers and GPS mobile phones with GPRS capabilities to 105 more buses by October. The system will also put up display units to show the movement of buses at various bus stands and bus stops. The installed infrastructure will have a capacity to handle 10,000 buses. So the business opportunity is big-considering that Tamil Nadu is just one of the several states in India. But the stage of pilots has to be crossed. I am sure that there are many other such pilot projects in various stages of implementation-or extinction.

Technology on the roads has other benefits too. It can ease traffic congestion, save fuel, improve the environment, increase efficiencies, make life of pedestrians easier and more. And, as usual, it is affordable-or at least can be made so. So what comes in the way? I guess digitized maps with a high level of detail are an obvious hindrance. A few large cities and major roads are reasonably well covered. Beyond that there is nothing. Creating maps using which driving directions can be given and point to point routes drawn up is a problem-considering that many areas have irrational addressing systems.

I guess we have to wait a bit for technology to hit the roads. Till then I will just have to learn to ask for directions.

Shyam Malhotra, editor-in-chief VOICE&DATA
shyamm@cybermedia.co.in