Ola to help govt in managing traffic

Hyderabad: Ola, one of the world's largest ride-hailing platforms, on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Telangana, to support their efforts towards strengthening the traffic infrastructure in the city.

This partnership will see Ola share intelligent insights that enable the government to implement smart solutions to enhance the mobility experience in the city.

Signed in the presence of Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments of the Government of Telangana, this MoU marks a milestone in Ola's efforts towards harnessing mobility data and creating tools to support transport related governance.

Speaking on the occasion, Jayesh Ranjan said, "With mobility playing a key role in the development of a city and our focus on building a comprehensive smart city plan for Hyderabad, these valuable data insights from Ola will pave the way towards building future-ready transport infrastructure.

The strategic partnership between the Government of Telangana and Ola will simplify traffic, transport management and will aid transport authorities to plan projects more seamlessly,"

The first pilot project proposed to be implemented under this MoU is the dynamic mapping of riding quality of various major roads in Hyderabad through the network of vehicles operating on the Ola platform.

This data will be provided to respective state government departments, who monitor road conditions and maintain the overall quality of roads in the city.

The intended outcome of this pilot is to reduce accidents due to potholes, monitor the quality of road construction, and prioritize road repair budget.

Under this partnership, Ola will work with the government to build innovative solutions for the city.

Speaking about the partnership, Sandeep Upadhyay, Regional Head, at Ola said, "We are thrilled to partner with the Government of Telangana and contribute towards strengthening Hyderabad's traffic infrastructure.

Over the past 6 years, Ola has gathered valuable data collected by cars, autos and two-wheelers that have clocked millions of kilometres on the Ola platform in the city of Hyderabad.

Our partnership with the Government of Telangana is a step towards using these learnings for the public good, and we are confident that our efforts will complement the various initiatives already launched by the government to improve the city's traffic infrastructure."

The Telangana government is already at the forefront of the adoption of technology for traffic management such as intelligent traffic system, automated traffic challans etc., and this partnership will further accelerate the efforts towards building a smart Hyderabad.

This partnership will act as a model for other metropolitan cities to use mobility data and technology for public good.