AI to tackle Bengaluru traffic: EaseMyTrip co-founder unveils ambitious plan
What's the story
EaseMyTrip co-founder Prashant Pitti has announced a plan to reduce Bengaluru's notorious traffic congestion by 25-30% in a year. The announcement comes just days after he pledged ₹1 crore from his personal funds to tackle the city's traffic woes. Pitti's initiative stems from his own experience of being stuck for over two hours at night on an 11km stretch on Outer Ring Road.
Collaborative approach
Who are the stakeholders involved in the plan?
Pitti's plan involves working with key public and private stakeholders, including Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), City Police, Google, IISc professors and scientists, road engineers and traffic-tech entrepreneurs. He has already held meetings with these parties to discuss potential solutions to the city's traffic problem. "For the first time, we are bringing all key public and private players - to the same table," he said in a recent post on X.
Tech-driven solutions
Traffic simulators to predict and prevent gridlocks
Pitti's plan includes the use of traffic simulators developed by BTP and IISc. These models can generate millions of re-routing permutations to reduce travel time. To improve these models' predictive capabilities, Pitti has requested data from major mobility service providers such as Google, Uber, Ola and Rapido. The goal is to predict and prevent gridlocks before they happen.
App expansion
Enhanced pothole reporting app
Pitti also plans to take over the government's existing pothole reporting app and expand its scope. The enhanced app will allow users to report illegal parking, broken signals, wrong-side driving, waterlogging and broken vehicles. Pitti also plans to increase accountability by publicly showcasing all complaints lodged and action taken with timestamps.
Innovative measures
Hyperlocal Rain Predictor to help the city plan roadwork better
Pitti has also proposed a "Hyperlocal Rain Predictor" to help the city plan roadwork better. This would prevent unexpected rain from halting work and causing traffic congestion. He also revealed that a pilot project is already underway to implement "Green Wave Signals," which sync traffic lights so vehicles can move in waves instead of stopping at every junction.
Public involvement
Pitti has invited public to share key traffic issues
Pitti has invited the public to join a WhatsApp community where they can post traffic issues they face at specific junctions or roads. These details will be compiled and shared with authorities. He stressed that this initiative is not just about blaming the system but about practical optimism and believing that with data, intent, and collaboration, we can improve what feels unfixable.