- The project is the result of close cooperation between the municipal government and the private sector through a working group involving Ferrovial and EMT
- Wondo, Goggo Network, BBVA Next Technologies, Acid Tango, Carto and ViaVan contributed resources and experience to develop this application for the development of an on-demand bus line
- A steering committee comprising experts from Wondo, Ferrovial, EMT and Goggo Network will monitor the initiative and explore new forms of collaboration
Ferrovial, through Wondo, participated with Goggo Network, BBVA Next Technologies, Acid Tango, Carto and ViaVan in the creation of a new municipal service consisting of an on-demand bus line in Madrid. This initiative by Madrid City and the city’s mass transit service, EMT, was made possible through collaboration between the administration and companies such as Wondo, a Ferrovial subsidiary that offers mobility services.
The pilot project, entitled ‘EMT Smart Bus Madrid’, arose from a Wondo proposal for a smart bus line that could pick up passengers based on reservations made with an app and an algorithm for dynamic route design. This achieves two goals: people get to their destination as quickly as possible, and the number of people on a bus can be controlled, a factor that is vital in order to safeguard users in a health crisis like the current one. The initiative arose in a working group comprising personnel from Ferrovial and EMT.
As a result, a bus service has been implemented linking the 12 de Octubre hospital in Usera with the Infanta Leonor hospital in Villa de Vallecas; the line passes 73 stops of other EMT bus lines and close to the M-30 and A-3 highways, between the Madrid districts of Puente de Vallecas, Arganzuela and Moratalaz. Passengers wishing to catch the ‘EMT Smart Bus Madrid’, which will run seven days a week through August, can make a reservation using a mobile app, indicating the time and area of travel; the app can send users updates about the service. Users can also see the bus route in real time.
Goggo Network, BBVA Next Technologies, Acid Tango, Carto and ViaVan contributed their technology and development expertise, and their experience in on-demand transport services made it possible to implement ’EMT Smart Bus Madrid’ in a very short time. Another advantage of this initiative as the lockdown is eased is the ability to control the capacity of the vehicle automatically and guarantee that passenger numbers make it possible to comply with the minimum safety distance.
The project will be monitored by a steering committee comprising experts from Wondo, Ferrovial, EMT and Goggo Network. The committee will also explore new opportunities for cooperation in smart mobility in Madrid.
“EMT Smart Bus Madrid is a case of successful cooperation between the public and private sectors to enhance urban mobility,” said Ion Cuervas-Mons, general manager of Wondo, adding that partnerships of this type make it possible to attract innovative projects involving startups, large corporations and government agencies and to implement them in a short period of time. ‘EMT Smart Bus Madrid’ is the latest of the company’s initiatives to combat COVID-19; they also include the establishment of the “Ferrovial Juntos COVID-19” fund, which has raised €8.69 million.
