App that counts the number of users on board a bus

By project REGIO-MOB

Published on 30 August 2022

Italy

Lazio

Rome

About this good practice

The Covid-19 emergency has highlighted the problem of transport overcrowding, due to the obvious need to maintain physical distance between users. With the reopening of activities after the lockdown, trains, metro and buses have started to fill up again, and controlling the flow of passengers is not easy. A people-counting sensor for public transport, based on stereoscopic 3D technology, proved to be very useful for accurately counting the people who get on the vehicles, but also for planning timetables and routes on the basis of real data. The solution consists of an automatic passenger counting sensor specially developed for the transport sector.
3D sensors have been integrated into the new public transport provided by the local administration, with the addition of all that is necessary for use on vehicles.
A first experimentation of the new Moovit service on Atac vehicles (public transport company in the city of Rome) was successfully completed, regarding the influx of vehicles on board in real time.
Operation is simple: it is needed to download the Moovit app for Android (in roll out) or iOS (already available), check that it is updated to the latest version available and check the filling level of the interested ride. The service is active only on surface vehicles belonging to the new “+ Bus x Roma” fleet (about 400), and the number of passengers is estimated through the digital passenger counter installed on board the vehicle.

Resources needed

People detection and counting sensors in the public transportation are not expensive, they offer great accuracy and resolution of video processing and there are several brands, while the Moovit application is free. In the specific case of Rome, the sensors were applied directly to the new buses.

Evidence of success

84% of users defined this function as "absolutely useful" to better plan their travels. Given the success of the experimentation phase the App “Moovit” has added the ability to report the level of crowding at the stop of the urban bus. The system offers three reporting levels: Places available; Uncrowded; Limited capacity (with turnout on board of 50% of the standing and seated places available, as defined by the National regulation).

Potential for learning or transfer

The new functionality is currently available in an experimental phase in a selection of thirteen metropolitan areas involved in the world: among them Rome, New York and Singapore. Furthermore, in Italy was applied also in Turin. After updating the app, in Moovit, public transport users can now view three levels of filling of surface vehicles: available seats, uncrowded and limited capacity. The crowding rate of the vehicle is based on the regulations of the Covid-19 restrictions, the limited capacity is therefore indicated when the influx on board is close to 50% of the standing and seated places available.
Of course, the applications may be different, however Moovit is the application used by over 950 million people, and is available in more than 2500 cities and over 82 countries around the world.
A similar service on bus overcrowding forecasts was launched by Google Maps in some countries, primarily in India.