Preliminary design for a paratransit tracking system to inform planning decisions in urban centers in developing countries

Abstract

While Matatu minibuses in Nairobi, Kenya are an important part of the urban transportation system, they significantly contribute to congestion, air pollution, and can be unsafe. Matatus are part of the paratransit (i.e. not fully public transit, and often utilizes smaller vehicles that are privately owned) system in Nairobi, providing service to millions of people. Despite their prominence, there is a lack of data both in terms of the number of Matatus as well as route frequency. For example, though some sources cite 15,000 Matatus in operation, there is significant variation in the estimates of the number of Matatu minibuses. The purpose of this project is to develop a low cost tracking system built with open source technology that can relay real-time location information to a database accessible by the Nairobi city planners. From this database, city planners will be able to analyze frequency and intensity of routes, and use this information to inform comprehensive plans. This paper covers the preliminary design and results for the four subsystems of the tracking system: power supply, microcontroller-sensor assembly, housing, and data processing. The open source Arduino based microcontroller assembly collects GPS data and saves it to an SD card. The data will then be sent via GSM technology to reach the cloud database. From there, the data can be exported and analyzed by the city planners using custom dashboards. The microcontroller will be powered by a battery array that is recharged by photovoltaic panels. The system will be designed so that additional sensor collection capabilities (e.g. air quality sensors) can be added to the device in the future.