Ethiopia Launches Digital Mapping Application

Ethiopia’s first ever digital mapping application was launched on December 27, 2019. The soft launch ceremony took place at the Hilton hotel with the presence of Dagmawit Moges, minister of Transport. The ministry also launched a trip planning app. 

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According to Dagmawit, the growth of urbanization and the increase in the number of population lead for the emergence of new public transport routes. Although the current public transport operation has a number of weaknesses, public transport has shown 9.3 growth annually.

The limitations in fulfilling the public transport demand needed an urgent technology-based solution. Thus, the dev’t of innovative mobility solutions such as this app is the first step towards creating smarter, data driven mobility in Ethiopia added Dagmawit on her twitter page.

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The new technology, is believed to provide better routing information to the system’s users and play a significant role in improving the transit system in the country.

While developing the digital map of, the ministry has collaborated with Addis Ababa

Transport bureau, World Resource Institute and Addis Ababa University. Experiences of Kenya’s Digital Matatus and Cairo Transport Authority were employed to launch the system, to help create information about the public transport in the capital. The data of Addis Ababa light rail, Ambesa city bus, Sheger public transport and minibus taxi services were collected and compiled into the new system.

The digital mapping technology will show Ethiopia’s road map as a virtual image. This technology will enable users to view the details of the major and feeder roads of the country and give accurate representations of particular areas. Alongside this technology, the Ministry has also introduced the first-ever trip planning application that shows the directions of different routes.

The Ministry also plans to expand the technology to secondary cities in partnership with regional states and World Resources Institute (WRI).