Devin De Vries, Co-Founder of WhereIsMyTransport

WhereIsMyTransport is a rapidly growing company, dedicated to improving the commuter experience in developing countries. The company aims to achieve a seamless travel experience for the public with a dynamic app that provides local travel information, alternative routes and transport modes available.

Devin de Vries, Co-founder for WhereIsMyTransport explains further, “WhereIsMyTransport aims to solve the collective transportation problem by combining all mapping, traffic and transport information streams together in one pot. From there, we then churn them up to spit out the right kind of information for the person standing on the side of the road. The end-user can now choose the best kind of transport method for them, depending on travel times or cost.”

The strength of WhereIsMyTransport’s business is the ability to provide detailed, live traffic information to its constituents. A large part of the app’s flexibility comes through TomTom Africa’s Location Based Services technology. TomTom’s mapping platform is unique in that it allows a company like WhereIsMyTransport to tailor their location-based app in a way that works for their company’s unique IT and service platform.

This means that business is not hampered by lack of access or latency delays, and mitigates risk in terms of WhereIsMyTransport’s system security. The map server sits safely in-house and does not put their users’ data at risk, so there are no privacy issues. “Being able to provide details in an offline manner is a big part of our business. This is where TomTom Africa’s tool as an in-house mapping system, comes into play. It gives us a deeper level of control and the capability to rapidly share information,” says de Vries.

Another crucial element is that the technology allows for regular mapping data computations as well as new and live information to be added as well. This aggregation of historical and live information lets WhereIsMyTransport provide the tailor-made information that meets the end-user needs.

Prior to TomTom Africa’s mapping APIs and SDKs, there was little technology available to meet WhereIsMyTransport’s various business needs. Now, whoever is connected to the WhereIsMyTransport app can access the data they need on a supply-and-demand platform.

WhereIsMyTransport is a key concept that South Africa’s major metropoles are quickly buying into. It falls in line with the company’s goal to make commuters smarter and cities more free flowing. Its success is evident with an average growth rate of 100% (percent) each year for the last six years.

De Vries adds, “Our people work in the transport business because they love it, it’s not a job. Our top priority is to get people moving freely and we achieve this with a team of young, dynamic people, as well as savvy business relationships.”