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Connected commuting and the rise of transport-related social apps

Connected commuting apps are a great way to ease the burden of driving or commuting amid varied traffic situations. Connected commuters feel happier and more relaxed.

Among the surest things in life, aside from death and taxes, is traffic — at least from the point of view of the millions who drive and take the public transport to work or to meetings every day. This is perhaps one of the reasons why transport-related startups are popular. We earlier featured a couple of startups in the Philippines, particularly MRTtrackr and Tripid, both of which have their respective target users. In gist, MRTtrackr aims to make commuting via Metro Manila’s light rail transits easier by giving information on congestion and queue times. Tripid, meanwhile, is a dynamic carpooling application that aims to reduce carbon consumption by encouraging carpooling — drivers can even earn extra for gas money in exchange for their taking in riders. Doing a search on our archives, we find that there are many other transport-related startups that have seen success or promise in the region, such as GoMyWay, TaxiMonger, Split-it!, App-a-cab and even the Singapore LTA’s own mobile app. There’s something about the daily commute that needs addressing, and enterprising developers are finding ways to ease the pain for drivers and commuters. A recent Fast Company Co.Exist article cites a study by the New Cities Foundation, which highlights how connected commuting can help keep stress levels down. The California study involved more than 100,000 users of crowdsourced traffic and navigation app Waze. New Cities found that the app provided a sense of community among members. A sentiment analysis of conversations made via the “chit chat” feature indicated that most were positive comments. There is also a disparity between drivers and commuters. Folks who drive prefer the connected nature of the app, because it’s a good way to overcome the sense of loneliness when driving alone. Meanwhile, commuters who take public transportation tend to have a sense of community within their rides — train, bus or other mode of transport — and don’t want insight from other commuters as much as solo drivers do.

The study even goes on to make recommendations on further research, in particular on the impact of these mobile apps on savings, in terms of fuel and time, and especially the environmental impact, given the reduced travel times and emissions. I discovered Waze when my iPhone got updated to iOS 6. I found the new Apple Maps app to be quite disappointing, and so I had to hunt for a better alternative for finding places and routes. Even now that Google has released its new Google Maps app for the iPhone, I prefer the connectedness of Waze, and the way it calculates and re-calculates your routes depending on how other users’ mobile devices are reporting the traffic situation. Other users’ traffic status submissions and tips are very useful. While stuck in traffic, I also find that the chatter does reduce stress. (Of course, one only uses the chat feature while riding as a passenger or when the car is actually stalled in traffic, and not while driving.)

This can perhaps be a call for app developers and startup founders. Build apps that can either help ease the traffic, or apps that help make the commute easier. You’re not only helping reduce stress for commuters. You’re also helping save the world by reducing fossil fuel consumption.