Hassan Ahmed
Shotl is a mobility platform that empowers public transport operators to supply on-demand mobility services through a network of vans and small buses. With the Shotl platform, vehicles are dynamically routed in real-time through algorithms that match and pool travellers as per each origin and destination.
The objective of the company is to provide a valuable option in areas where public transportation is often insufficient and highly subsidised. These are residential suburbs of large cities, business parks, airports or small villages. The platform can be applied to enhance accessibility for special communities like school students or commuters with physical disabilities.
Shotl does not subcontract any other company for the planning, development, implementation and / or integration of their technology, products and services. All work is done in-house and the whole team is fully committed to the needs of each new client.
Q&A
Q: You have created a tool to replace low ridership transport lines with an on demand system. How does the process work?
A: Shotl is a mobility platform with Artificial Intelligence applied to the urban transport of passengers and packages in shared vehicles. The solution facilitates the immediate reservation of rides and their distribution in real time through two different Apps (traveler and driver), a central dashboard, and powerful algorithms for route optimization.
Shotl’s vision is that in 20 years from now the number of private cars in cities will be reduced by 50%, and public transport will be as flexible and convenient as the private car, with the consequent environmental advantages that this entails.
Q: For what type of transport services and routes would this system be most viable?
A: Our technology is oriented to the transport of passengers in suburban, peri-urban and rural areas, where on demand transport services must tend towards a first / last mile solution, connecting smaller areas without service with transport hubs. Also for parcel transport, although in this case the value proposition would not be based so much on technology but rather on the personal touch that local drivers can bring to the residents of a town.
Q: What environmental advantages does this system provide?
A: The entire Shotl philosophy revolves around sustainability. To begin with, our platform mainly benefits users with limited resources, in areas that may suffer a loss compared to large urban centers. This includes, for example, the population without access to public or private transport or who depend on the cars of family or friends, but also people with reduced mobility, the elderly, students, or middle and lower class families who thus have the opportunity to save on owning and maintaining a private car.
Moreover, the vehicles used for on demand transport, mostly passenger vans, have a lower cost than traditional buses, which helps a lot to achieve environmental sustainability: eventually, this will lead to greener and car-free towns and cities, helping the development of the areas where it is implemented.
Q: Would it be an incentive to avoid using the private car for commuting?
A: Certainly. The key challenge is to reduce the number of private car trips in areas where public transport is often insufficient and highly subsidized. On-demand shared transportation allows these needs to be met at a socially acceptable cost, and favors greater accessibility to these services by the most vulnerable groups.
