Ho Chi Minh real-time bus management

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam’s largest metropolis, is home to over ten million people.

The city faces significant challenges due to its high population density and vulnerability to climate change. Its location in the Mekong Delta, coupled with rapid urbanisation, makes it highly susceptible to flooding from heavy rains and rising sea levels. These extreme weather events can halt the city’s transportation network, exacerbating congestion and increasing reliance on private vehicles. Currently, only 7% of the city’s modal split consists of public bus transport, highlighting the need for improved public transit infrastructure and management.

Role of Big Data in Transport Management

To address these challenges, the TUMI Lab initiative, in collaboration with the Vietnamese-German University (VGU) and the HCMC Department of Transport, is leveraging big data to enhance urban mobility. This ongoing TUMI Lab project (2022-2024) is developing a digital tool called Smart Move System (SMS), which aims to automate traffic congestion predictions and provide adaptive bus routing solutions during extreme weather events like flooding. The core idea is to integrate various data sources to improve the efficiency and resilience of the bus network in real time.

Key data types utilised in this project include:

• Bus-GPS Data: Tracking real-time bus locations and movements.
• GTFS Data: Obtaining bus schedules, stops, routes, usage, and service performance during different times and areas.
• Traffic Camera Feeds: Monitoring congestion, road accidents, and vehicle flow.
• Weather Data: Analyzing patterns of extreme weather events and predicting their impact on transportation.
• Historical Extreme Weather Events
• Congestion Reports: Identifying high-risk areas prone to bottlenecks.
• Traffic Violations Data: Assessing rule-breaking behaviours that contribute to congestion.
• E-Payment Systems: Understanding passenger travel patterns and demand trends.

Using machine learning algorithms, these data points are processed to forecast congestion and disruptions for nearly 2,048 private and public-operated buses that run across 127 routes in the city. The system can then dynamically reroute buses, ensuring the continuity of operations during adverse weather conditions. Unlike navigation platforms such as Google Maps, which primarily focus on current traffic, this system provides predictive insights for proactive decision-making by offering forecasts of traffic conditions from 30 minutes to 3 hours ahead.

Current Status

Currently in its pilot phase, the project’s next step is integration with the city’s transport department systems for full-scale deployment. To support this expansion, as well as ongoing research and development, VGU will host an application server on its campus. The HCMC Department of Transport will continue providing data and system support throughout the pilot and implementation phases.

Conclusion

By leveraging big data and advanced AI, Ho Chi Minh City is paving the way for a more resilient and efficient public transport system. The Smart Move System offers a transformative solution for mitigating congestion and ensuring uninterrupted bus services, particularly in the face of climate-induced challenges. Beyond HCMC, this initiative holds the potential to be scaled to other emerging cities prone to flooding, contributing to a more sustainable urban mobility landscape. Through continuous data-driven improvements, the project aims to increase public transport adoption, reduce traffic congestion, and enhance the city’s overall climate resilience.

Suggested readings

• TUMI Lab HCMC: Big Data for Climate Proofing Urban Buses to Flooding
• TUMI LAB Ho Chi Minh City Success Story: Data-driven Urban Planning Transform Cities (TUEWAS)
• TUMI Lab Ho Chi Minh City: Climate Proofing Urban Buses to Flooding (TUMI Video)
• Climate-Proofing Urban Bus Systems in Vietnam (UrbaNET)