Israeli software platform for public transportation planning Optibus is partnering with GreenRoad Technologies, a safety telematics company, to improve passenger safety on public transportation. It will achieve this by bringing historical road safety data in the early phases of transportation planning.
“Although public transit is one of the safest ways to travel, thousands of passengers, as well as drivers, pedestrians, and occupants of other vehicles, are still injured or killed each year in bus-related crashes. Many of these incidents could be prevented if safety data was used to plan networks that are safer,” said Optibus CEO and co-founder Amos Haggiag. “Partnering with GreenRoad allows us to do just that, by creating the first-ever integrated planning and safety system for public transport providers.”
A lack of relevant safety data at the early stages of transportation planning means that dangerous roads or other hazards are only detected once the service is implemented. Despite their best efforts, services can still improperly plan routes or services that can result in injury or incident. By slowing down due to a perceived idea that slower is safer, passengers are also left unsatisfied. The partnership between Optibus and GreenRoad Technologies will help agencies account for safety factors including road and ride quality, collisions, driver behavior, and more at the planning stage.
“Early insight into route safety enables operators to reduce risks, save lives, and deliver better services to passengers,” said David Ripstein, GreenRoad Technologies’ CEO. “The combination of GreenRoad’s world-class safety data and telematics and Optibus’ cutting-edge transportation planning software creates a powerful, essential tool for ensuring the safety of mass transit.”
It is understood that the Optimus platform will be used by planners who can then access GreenRoad’s Safety Heat Map to visualize and assess the safety score of existing routes. Planners will then be able to ‘re-plan’ low-scoring routes to increase safety. The partnership will be launching globally to help reduce the number of injuries per million miles and increase passenger satisfaction.
Optibus was founded in 2014 by Haggiag and Eitan Yanovsky, who serves as CTO. It has raised a total of $160 million over four rounds. GreenRoad Technologies was founded in 2004 and has raised $84.4 million. Its platform is used around the world by agencies such as Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, Coach USA, First Group, KMB, and others.
