Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 2 hrs ago
AI could improve Bengaluru bus services, but governance is the bigger hurdle
Experts at a Bengaluru mobility symposium said AI could help improve bus services by planning routes and matching service levels to passenger demand.
Sreenivas Bhandari of ONDC said passenger data could help agencies set bus frequency and coordinate feeder services with Metro demand.
Shared transport data could help connect buses, the Metro and other services, allowing people to plan and track journeys through one app.
Ashwin Mahesh of LVBL Accelerator said technology cannot replace the government capacity needed to put changes into practice.
He also said Bengaluru’s concentration of jobs in a few areas and high housing costs make the “15-minute city” difficult without changes to where people work and live.
Nikhil Maroli of RoadMetrics said AI could also help authorities identify road defects, footpaths and lane markings, and plan maintenance.
Experts at Bengaluru’s Mobility Symposium 2026 said artificial intelligence could help optimise the city’s bus network.
AI tools could help design routes and adjust bus frequency to passenger demand.
Experts said governance, institutional capacity and implementation are bigger hurdles than the technology.
Open data and common standards could help connect bus, Metro and other transport services.
Bengaluru’s concentration of jobs and high housing costs also make “15-minute city” goals difficult.
- Who
- Mobility experts, including Sreenivas Bhandari, Ashwin Mahesh and Nikhil Maroli.
- What
- Experts discussed how AI could improve Bengaluru’s buses and transport infrastructure, while stressing that governance and implementation are major challenges.
- When
- At the Mobility Symposium 2026, held on a Thursday; the article was published on October 17, 2026.
- Where
- Bengaluru, India.
- Why
- AI could help match bus services to passenger demand and support transport planning, but broader mobility problems require institutional and urban-planning changes.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The article was published, according to its publication line.
Experts discussed AI and Bengaluru’s transport challenges at the Mobility Symposium 2026.
- Event
- Mobility Symposium 2026
- Host
- MoveInSync
- AI applications
- Bus route design and adjusting services to passenger demand
- Governance challenge
- Institutional capacity, planning systems and trained personnel are needed to implement solutions
- Transport integration
- Common data, standards and APIs could connect bus, Metro and other mobility services
What people are saying
AI could quickly identify optimal routes and improve bus network design, but governments needed the institutional capacity, planning systems and trained personnel to implement such solutions
Computer vision and AI could be used to identify road defects, footpaths, and lane markings from road imagery, helping authorities monitor infrastructure and plan maintenance.