INNOVATIVE, INTEGRATED, INCLUSIVE BUS STOPS

Mumbai has one of the finest bus connectivity in the world. From the remotest locations to the highly dense localities, the BEST has done a commendable job of transporting people everywhere around in Mumbai.

However, with the exponentially growing population, some key improvements can be taken into account.

H₂I proposes the following infrastructural improvements for the BEST:

• A Centralised NOC (Network Operating Centre)
• SMART CARD RIDE
• ROUTE TRACKING KIOSKS

A Conductor generally issues tickets from within the bus. What if a passenger could issue a ticket from the vending machine inbuilt at the bus shelter, and proceed to aboard the bus.  This information would be sent to a Centralised Network Operating Centre (NOC) which could know the flow of passengers, and route the buses accordingly thereby, improving the frequency of buses on a set route as required.

The ticket issued could provide relevant information to the passenger regarding various other bus options. Hence, the passenger needs to only select the final destination and get all possible bus options stated on the ticket itself. This again, would reduce the number of people boarding a particular bus. 

The SMART CARD issued to the railways, could alternatively be used for bus rides itself, making the transport system in Mumbai more user-friendly and multimodal as well as making the entire system multifunctional and integrated.

The conductors could be employed within the NOC, to keep track of the buses. This facility would generate more employment from the operations.

- by Riddhi J Chokhawala 

Importance of Goal Setting in Innovation

"It doesn't matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going." - Brian Tracy

Innovation is a journey of challenging one’s own limitations and finding new ways of approaching a situation or solving a problem. We believe that it is paramount to set impossible goals to innovate. By setting impossible goals we put ourselves into a challenging situation and only by challenging ourselves to find new ways of doing things can we truly innovate. I would like to share an example to demonstrate my point of view.

Example:

An Israeli inventor Mr.Gafni created the first commercially sold cardboard bicycle which costs $9.

His Goal – Why not make a bicycle out of cardboard?

His Inspiration – Gafni was inspired by the news that a man had successfully built a cardboard canoe.

Although he was told by many of his friends and peers that it’s impossible, he decided to challenge it. He bought the thickest cardboard to test for durability. Taking inspiration from Japanese Origami, he folded and bended each piece into the required shape. 

He kept on working on his prototype till he achieved his final goal.

Today, this innovation has become a game changer in the bike world as this bike is going to be cheap and available for any child in the world.

This example clearly illustrates the power of setting an impossible goal and following it up with relentless effort.

- by Anuj Chaudhary

DISCLAIMER: H2I has referred the following website to get the images. http://www.businessinsider.com/izhar-gafni-has-invented-the-first-cardboard-bicycle-2012-8?op=1