The Ministry of Transport has been finalizing preparations to launch a new technology that could enhance the development of the transportation sector in the country. Availability of modern transportation in cities is indispensible to curtail unwelcome traffic jams and help every segments of the society get access to suitable mobility in their daily lives.
Conducting a research on the transportation system across the country, the ministry has come up with the solution to reduce accident as well as prevent property and physical damages.
Dagmawit Moges, Minister of Transport, said the ministry has been working to meet the increasing mobility demand in the country. To achieve this, the ministry has been working to improve the public transport service in the country. Providing modern and database transportation system is indispensable.
Dagmawit said that the ministry has officially launched a digital map that will enhance the transportation service in two ways. Primarily, it locates a place, gives terminals, routes and directions. Secondly, the application also tells the time it may take to reach to the target place and informs the cost for the trip.
She said since Addis Ababa is the capital of Africa, creating conducive transportation system in the city is essential. The technology makes Addis Ababa an easily navigable city. The application can work on phone, in which users can easily download it from Google play.
At the moment, the application is functional only in Addis Ababa and will be started soon in other cities across the country, as to the minister.
Almaz Beyero, Deputy Director at Ministry, on her part said that the ministry has been launching projects in order to enhance the transportation sector; however they are not still effective in eradicating
the problem. This is mainly due to the rise of the transportation demand every year. Thus, to make this happen, it is required to introduce a sustainable project, as to the Director.
Almaz said the projects are intended to introduce GPS, upgrade drivers’ skill, modernizing licensing centers, and providing reliable transportation with the help of modern technologies, such as database transportation system among others.
Mitiku Asmare, Deputy Director at Federal Transportation Authority told The Ethiopian Herald that the technology would curtail various problems by providing important information that could help passengers to decide their choice of transportation means and its service time. It tells the routes, exits, and terminals as well as indicates options to shift directions in time of traffic jams and other problems.
The Director further disclosed that Kalitti Traffic Management Institute is under construction. The institute would be center of excellence in the East Africa. The cost of the project is over 380 million birr. When completed, it would play significant role in addressing the problems at the grass root level, she said.
Mitiku said research has been conducted to assess the transportation coverage in the country and the challenges existed these days. He also said that the ministry has launched a project called ‘Addis Map’ that would indicate locations in the city. The application could help navigate the city by reading the map. It enables strangers move across the city easily.
Moreover, the application launched by the ministry is called Yene Guzo. The application gives information about public transport in Addis Ababa and national intercity bus. It provides information regarding where and when people could get access to transport. It has function to save time and effort as well as infers alternative transportation available.
The Ethiopian Herald January 11, 2020
BY GETAHUN LEGESSE
