Transport systems are the backbone of thriving cities, directly influencing how residents access essential services like work, education, and healthcare. Reliable and affordable mobility elevates living standards and unlocks a city’s full economic potential. In the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, tackling mobility challenges is not just important—it’s essential.

With robust mobility solutions, cities can sustain growth and provide equitable opportunities for their residents. Effective urban transit catalyzes better livelihoods, improves access to jobs and services, and fosters stronger connections within the city.

This blog will delve into four significant urban transport challenges facing the MEA region. For each challenge, we’ll highlight how Swvl’s digital mobility platform is designed to address these issues and help cities achieve sustainable growth and productivity.

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Challenge 1: Traffic Congestion

The Middle East has long been recognized as a car-heavy region, with private vehicles accounting for nearly 90% of transportation across most countries, while public transport captures just a 2% share. This reliance on personal cars significantly increases traffic congestion, leading to delays, longer travel times, and reduced productivity.

In major cities like Cairo, traffic congestion can double travel times during peak hours, causing disruptions in daily routines. Similarly, drivers in Riyadh lose an estimated 87 hours annually stuck in traffic—the highest in the MENA region. Meanwhile, in Lagos, Nigeria’s bustling commercial hub, commuters spend over 30 hours each week navigating gridlocked roads, severely impacting economic efficiency and quality of life.

How Swvl Solves This

Swvl addresses traffic congestion through its proprietary routing algorithms, which are designed to ensure efficient route planning tailored to varying demand patterns. These systems optimize routes to reduce travel times and avoid congestion hotspots, thereby significantly improving the overall efficiency of urban transit.

For probabilistic demand, as seen in mass public transit, where the exact demand and its source are not fixed, Swvl employs its proprietary routing algorithm, Routimizer. 
 This system predicts future demand by analyzing customer search data and historical ride trends, segmenting cities into hexagonal grids for precise planning. Leveraging a multi-source Dijkstra algorithm, Routimizer identifies the shortest paths between stations while factoring in anticipated traffic conditions to ensure seamless transit.

For deterministic demand, as in corporate commute, where the exact quantum of demand is known beforehand, Swvl utilizes its proprietary capability, Oracle (not to be confused with the database management system). Oracle leverages Google’s Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) algorithm to create optimal routes for corporate transportation, taking into account critical parameters such as route direction and cost efficiency.

By combining these advanced routing systems with Swvl’s in-house ETA model, Ratimator, Swvl ensures highly accurate arrival predictions. This enhances passenger satisfaction and builds confidence in public transit services.

Explore the Swvl Platform for more details.

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Challenge 2: The First & Last Mile Problem

Mass-transit services like buses and metros operate on fixed routes, but access to these routes is often hindered by first- and last-mile connectivity gaps. With rapid urbanization and the expansion of satellite cities, the first and last problem has become a significant barrier to public transport usage. The added time, cost, and effort required to connect with mass transit systems often deter commuters, making public transport less appealing. This, in turn, encourages private car ownership and worsens traffic congestion across urban areas.

For instance, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the absence of effective feeder services to the metro system has proven to be a significant obstacle. A study by the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) revealed that only 5% of Riyadh’s population can walk to a metro station within five minutes, and just 14% can do so within ten minutes. This lack of accessibility highlights the pressing need for efficient first-mile and last-mile solutions to make public transport a viable option and reduce dependence on private vehicles.

How Swvl Solves This

At Swvl, we recognize that the demand dynamics for mainline transit and first- and last-mile transit vary significantly. To address these variations and respond effectively to fluctuating demand patterns, Swvl bridges first- and last-mile gaps through Dynamic Rides, a flexible routing solution powered by our in-house hybrid routing system, Roudyna. This innovative technology enables Swvl to create adaptive routes that seamlessly connect residential areas with major transit hubs, integrating effortlessly with broader public transportation networks.

Roudyna introduces soft stations and virtual stops that are dynamically added to routes to bring public transport closer to passengers. By eliminating the need for long walks to fixed transit stops, Roudyna enhances accessibility and convenience for commuters. Additionally, Roudyna works in conjunction with Dyro, Swvl’s dynamic network creation system, to adjust routes in real-time based on evolving demand patterns, traffic conditions, and vehicle availability.

By leveraging these innovations, Swvl transforms public transit into a more attractive and viable option for daily commuters. This reduces dependency on private vehicles, alleviates urban congestion, and creates a seamless journey for passengers.

Discover the Swvl Rider App for effortless urban transit.

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Challenge 3: Idle Fleets, Wasted Opportunities

For fleet owners across the MEA region, underutilized vehicles represent a silent drain on resources. Vehicles sitting idle for large parts of the day lead to inefficiencies, inflated operational costs, and reduced profitability. The root of the problem lies in demand unpredictability, inefficient route planning, and overinvestment in fleet sizes that don’t match actual requirements.

In Egypt, public transport vehicles frequently operate below capacity, particularly during off-peak hours, resulting in high costs per passenger. These inefficiencies ripple across the ecosystem, burdening operators and reducing the financial viability of services.

In the UAE, corporate fleets are often reserved for specific purposes but spend most of their time idle due to the rigidity of fixed scheduling and a lack of flexibility to adapt to changing needs. This wasted potential contributes to higher costs and lower returns on investment, creating a cycle of resource underutilization.

How Swvl Solves This

Swvl tackles the issue of underutilized vehicles through its supply planning capability called Supply Assignment Problem Solver (SAP Solver), an advanced tool designed to optimize vehicle utilization. This system analyzes input data such as vehicle capacity, captain availability, and demand schedules to generate highly efficient assignment plans. By dynamically allocating trips, the system ensures that buses and captains are utilized optimally, reducing idle time and increasing operational efficiency.

One of the SAP Solver’s standout features is its cross-dispatch capability, which reassigns vehicles from underutilized use cases, such as retail, to others with higher demand, like corporate transportation. This flexibility allows fleet owners to maximize vehicle usage without additional investments.

Additionally, the solver respects key operational constraints, such as driver working hours and vehicle capacity limits, ensuring smooth and effective execution of routes. By addressing the root causes of underutilization, Swvl empowers fleet owners to achieve higher profitability, better resource allocation, and sustainable operations.

Learn more about the Swvl Admin Dashboard to enhance fleet efficiency.

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Challenge 4: Transportation Safety & Security

Safety is a critical concern in MEA transit systems. Despite having only 3% of the world’s vehicles, Africa accounts for 20% of global road fatalities. In the Middle East, road traffic death rates remain high, with challenges extending beyond accidents to include issues like harassment on public transit. Another major challenge is overcrowding, where many public transit buses take more passengers than there are seats.

In Egypt, a UN Women report revealed that 82% of women face harassment on public transport. Such safety concerns deter public transport usage, particularly for vulnerable groups like women and children, and highlight the urgent need for secure and reliable mobility options that ensure the safety of all passengers.

How Swvl Solves This

Swvl ensures passenger safety with strict measures to eliminate common transportation risks. All buses operate without overcrowding—seating is always guaranteed, and passenger numbers never exceed the available seats. Swvl Captains undergo thorough vetting processes, including regular drug tests, to ensure the safety and reliability of the service.

Swvl operates exclusively with compliant suppliers, captains, and vehicles. To further strengthen compliance, we have developed an in-house document management and approval system that enables operators to maintain and manage supplier documentation for periodic reviews and audits. This system ensures that all vehicles, captains, and suppliers meet Swvl’s rigorous safety and quality standards.

To enhance service quality, Swvl allows riders to rate their experiences, providing valuable feedback that helps us identify and address any quality gaps. Additionally, Swvl continuously monitors service quality through internal checks, enabling proactive improvements where needed.

In addition, transit operators get a real-time view of all trips on Swvl’s Admin Dashboard, and passengers have access to customer support 24/7 to address any issues or concerns.

Understanding that safety standards can vary across geographies, Swvl goes beyond simply adhering to local regulations. We implement these standards alongside our own robust internal safety protocols, ensuring the highest level of safety and security for passengers, no matter where they are.

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Learn More about Swvl’s Smart Mobility Solutions

The rise of smart mobility—leveraging efficient, sustainable, and data-driven urban transportation networks—offers immense potential to improve quality of life and drive economic growth. By reducing traffic congestion, enhancing road safety, improving environmental outcomes, and increasing accessibility, smart mobility can transform cities into more livable and equitable spaces.

True innovation in mobility lies in combining data and technology to create solutions that are not only smart but also inclusive, affordable, and sustainable. These solutions empower individuals to make better decisions while improving overall urban mobility and quality of life.

Swvl is at the forefront of this transformation, providing an all-in-one transportation platform that delivers safe, reliable, and smart mobility solutions for individuals and businesses. Contact us today to learn how Swvl’s smart mobility solutions can redefine transportation for your city or organization.