Making a mile go longer

We are a nation obsessed with mileage and thus it is heartwarming to see some innovation happening in this field. Don’t get your hopes too high; its not about increasing mileage or reducing fuel use, this innovation, currently on a pilot test by Airtel in Odisha is about tracking the fuel usage by trucks and buses.

Using SIM-based sensors, truck and bus operators will keep track of fuel costs and passenger density on various routes. These sensors are placed in the fuel tanks and under passenger seats and they keep sending real-time data to a remote server on fuel usage and even pilferage if any. The sensors under passenger seat senses occupancy – the moment a passenger sits, an alert is sent out to control room and this helps tracking demand pattern on routes.

This pilot project, if it proves to a success in Odisha will be extended all over India. And it could become a treasure trove of information, providing state transport buses knowledge about which routes are over crowded and would thus need more buses. For truck drivers, the data on fuel usage will be very good as they rely only on the fuel bills to keep track of these expenses. Sadly though, many truck drivers have damaged these sensors as it spoils the small money which they make on the side on fuel bills. Let’s see how this interesting machine-to-machine or M2M pilot communication study goes.