· Half of survey respondents across Asia Pacific report worsening traffic conditions; only 18 percent say traffic has improved in the last year
· Thai respondents view a better public transport network as among the three most important cures for congestion
· Ford will present proposed mobility solutions at Mobile World Congress Shanghai from June 29 through July 1, 2016; solutions to focus on key mobility pain points, including finding parking in big cities and making public transit services more reactive to consumer needs
Ford is actively researching ways to relieve the pain of congestion by revolutionizing mobility around the world. At the upcoming Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Ford will be giving consumers a chance to see for themselves some of the advanced solutions it is working on – including Ford Smart Mobility experiments that explore ways to make parking in crowded cities more convenient, and how to optimize public transit services to make them more reactive to consumer needs.
"As a global automotive company and a mobility company, we pay close attention to what consumers are saying about the state of their commutes and the problems they face with congestion every day – particularly here in Asia Pacific," said John Larsen, director, Ford Smart Mobility, Ford Asia Pacific. "Our research also shows us that consumers in this region are eager to embrace a range of different solutions, from ride-sharing, to advanced technology in cars, to smarter public transit."
In a recent survey of consumers and commuters across Asia Pacific conducted on behalf of Ford, about half of respondents said they spent more time sitting in traffic than a year ago, with only 18 percent reporting that traffic had improved. The survey also sought consumer opinions about how to reduce congestion, and found widespread agreement that the future of mobility will rely on the shared capabilities of city governments, mobility companies and even commuters themselves.
In China, nearly half of respondents ranked smarter cars and technology solutions, including autonomous technologies and real-time traffic information, as one of the top three cures for congestion, the highest rate in the region.
Other top-ranked solutions in China included improved infrastructure, at 63 percent, and greater collaboration between private companies, research institutions and government, at nearly 40 percent. Across the region, more than 65 percent of respondents listed a better public transport network as among the three most important cures for congestion, with high support in markets as different as Taiwan (79 percent), Australia (73 percent) and Thailand (66 percent).
For Thailand, respondents ranked a better public transport network as the top solution for congestion problems, followed by an improvement in driver education including better adherence to the rule and regulations on the road (nearly 58 percent) and more collaboration between private companies, research institutions and government sectors to solve the problems (55 percent).
The data also showed that Thai commuters are among the top five countries seeing an increasing number of people using cars (39 percent) and has a decreasing number using taxis (30 percent).
"We may all suffer from the effects of traffic congestion in our daily lives, but the best solutions can differ from market to market," said Larsen. "That's why it's so important that we approach the future of mobility with a firm understanding of what consumers want, and what works best for them. We're excited to be at MWC Shanghai to share how we're doing our part to bring mobility solutions to life."
MWC Shanghai takes place from June 29 through July 1 at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center.