Project description
The Digital Matatus Network Collaborative Project, which brings together students and researchers in cooperation between the University of Nairobi, the Center for Sustainable Urban Development at Columbia University and the MIT Civic Data Design Lab, and under the Supervision of Sarah Williams, ICT teacher and urban planning at MIT, was born around the idea of mapping this matatus network in Nairobi, in order to contribute to its optimisation. To achieve this, students and members of mobilised associations have used an application on their mobile phones during matatus rides, which provided geo-tracking data every five seconds. The information gathered was corroborated by interviews with transported persons and matatus employees before being processed in a format usable by Google Map. Once unveiled, mapping met with considerable resonance, as what appeared to be a flexible system tailored to individual needs proved to be a rational and centralised system in downtown Nairobi. Through the "Matatus Map", certain phenomena, such as pollution peaks and congestion of traffic, find an explanation. By helping to streamline traffic and optimise this network, the project has also formalised the status of matatus, facilitating the distribution of licenses. The Kenyan government has chosen to adopt this map as an official map of the matatus lines.
Tags: Big data, Connected transports, Crowdmapping, Crowdsourcing, Smart transports
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Project summary
- Organization University of Nairobi, University of columbia, Massachussets Institute of Technology
- Location Kenya
- Creation date 09/05/2019
- Project category Smart CitySmart-mobility
