2nd Y4PT Global Transport Hackathon Dubai 2018

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Y4PT-Global-Transport-Hackathon

20-25 April 2018 | Dubai (United Arab Emirates, Middle East)

UITP MENA Regional Public Transport Congress and Exhibition Dubai 2018

The second edition of the world’s first-ever global transport hackathon in the framework of the MENA region’s top sustainable transport event

The Y4PT Global Transport Hackathon Dubai 2018 will take place from 20 to 22 April. Winners will be announced during the Opening Ceremony of the UITP MENA Congress on 23 April and the concrete results of the different local hackathons will be exhibited at the Y4PT Hackathon Fair from 23 to 25 April.

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Y4PT Global Transport Hackathon was acknowledged by the European Mobility Week Secretariat as one of the best practices of 2017

After the success of the first edition of Y4PT Global Transport Hackathon series in Montreal 2017, the Youth For Public Transport (Y4PT) Foundation, with the support of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), the Roads and Transport Authority of the Emirate of Dubai (RTA Dubai) and Careem, and other stakeholders, and following the long-standing tradition of Y4PT Youth Lab series, is promoting the organization of local transport hackathons around the world during the 2017-2018 season, by combining the best of boundless human creativity and the benefits of current information and communications technologies (ICTs) in collaborative environments, with the aim of advancing transport sector towards sustainability.

Winners from each local transport hackathon will join other Emirates-based hackers at the 2nd Y4PT Global Transport Hackathon Dubai 2018 (https://www.y4pt.org/projects/hackathon) in the framework of the UITP MENA Regional Public Transport Congress and Exhibition Dubai 2018 – the MENA region’s top sustainable transport event – to contest in a final round for unveiling the world’s best ground-breaking transport solutions.

Many cities around the world are hosting the first local transport hackathons. Other cities are also welcome to join.

Different stakeholders such as universities, youth groups, ICT companies, transport operators, authorities, start-up mentors, innovation centers and hackers are called to collaborate with Y4PT and to be part of the next edition of the world’s first ever global transport hackathon.

Everyone is invited to get on board. This is a one-off opportunity to show to your audience and users how important is for you to support this kind of event where innovation and creativity is putting forward new ICT-related solutions to boost both the private sector business performance and the public sector policy efficacy, and thus to unlock new opportunities to expand, diversify and renew your organization’s portfolio of products and services.

What is a Hackathon?

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A Hackathon is an event, typically lasting several days, where a number of skilled people meet to engage in software programming and hardware prototyping, with the aim of ingeniously solving specific issues in a collaborative and cooperative environment. Hackathon outcomes usually lead to the inception of startup projects and trigger other innovation processes in different ICT-intensive fields such as the transport sector.

Overview

Most of the cities are going through a gradually-increasing integration with the outer world that has meant new and disruptive socio-economic conditions which market and its players are yet striving to adapt well. For instance immigration, climate change and security are three core pending issues on both the local and global agendas.

Furthermore, emerging concepts such as sharing economy are not anymore a matter of the future. They are already here, being present now among all of us somehow. And they are fostering a fast change at all levels in different sectors, forcing all existing approaches to be re-thought.

For years the transport field has served as the right testing ground for new technological developments and results have been later replicated in other sectors.

In the light of the above, several stakeholders, with the Roads and Transport Authority of the Emirate of Dubai (RTA Dubai) (https://www.rta.ae/) as the 1st Honorary Founding Member of the Y4PT Foundation and Careem, have joined forces along with UITP, to organize the second edition of the world’s first ever transport hackathon, an open and collaborative space where people are called to contribute to solving major transport-related challenges while employing ICTs in an ingenious way.

Transport Challenges

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Hackathon projects should contribute somehow to a ultimate goal, doubling public transport’s market share worldwide (PTx2): “UITP estimates that it would save around 170m tons of oil and 550m tons of CO2 equivalent; reduce urban traffic fatalities by 15%; double the number of jobs in public transport operators as well as reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease by 50% thanks to the greater role of walking, cycling and public transport.”

Moreover all projects should be in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the one addressing sustainable transport (Target 11.2): “By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding  public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable  situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons”.

A wide range of current and critical challenges faced by the transport sector as a whole will be addressed during the Hackathon, with public transport as the cornerstone of multimodal mobility solutions, in line with the Y4PT’s holistic point of view on sustainable transport.

  • Congestion
  • Urban Sprawl
  • Shared mobility
  • Road Safety
  • Active Travel
  • Urban Pollution (Air-related and others)
  • Security
  • Accessibility for Persons with Reduced Mobility
  • Combination of Passenger and Freight Transport
  • Intermodalilty
  • Health and Transport
  • Long-Haul Transport
  • Payment and Pricing
  • Weather Forecast and Climate Change
  • Electrification of Transport (Zero Emissions)

MENA region’s and Dubai’s specific transport challenges

  • Measuring and increasing happiness for public transport
  • Pedestrianization and non-motorized travel
  • Public transport optimize! Using data and technology to provide exemplary services with less resources
  • Public transport and neeting the climate challenge
  • School transport: smart innovations for safety and efficiency
  • Clean buses and e-mobility
  • Financing and governance of public transport in the context of slow economic growth
  • Safety and security in public transport
  • Mapping and understanding paratransit/hybrid/informal transport systems in MENA cities
  • Public transport into the future
  • Smart applications in MENA cities and mobility as a service (MaaS)
  • The future of taxis and ride hailing apps
  • Autonomous vehicles for public transport

Open Data

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Currently different organizations in both public and private sectors have released a wide range of sets of databases, freely accessible to the general public, without restrictions on use.

In the case of the public sector, access to open data is one of the key principles of transparency and good governance, necessary for the control exercised by citizens on results of the performance of leaders and civil servants, as well as the effectiveness of public policy in different areas.

On the web there are different open data libraries:

Hackers are advised to download in advance databases and to storage them in hard drives (or removable discs) to be used during the Hackathon.

Hacker’s Profile and Teaming-Up

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The Hackathon is an event open to the general public (people over 18 only).

Hackers must demonstrate knowledge and/or experience in the transport field, as well as being capable to play roles such as:

  • Algorithm designers
  • Software programmers
  • User interface designers
  • Project managers (business development)
  • Marketers / Communicators

Each team will be made of up to five (5) members, ideally corresponding to each of the profiles above mentioned.
Hackers are free to choose if they want to run a project individually, or on the contrary, they want to teamed up with others.

English language must be the working language during the Hackathon.

Registration

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Any person who is willing to participate as a hacker must fill out the online registration form in advance (NOTE: Registration is closed).

Those hackers who initially registered individually but would like to set up a team, on the first day of the Hackathon they can meet other hackers in the same situation.

Hackers must bring a valid official photo ID to enter to the Hackathon venue.

What should Hackers bring to the Hackathon?

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The Hackathon venue will be provided with high-speed Internet access, tables, chairs, electric sockets, audiovisual equipment and other basic resources.

It is up to hackers to bring whatever they might need to develop their projects on-site.

Checklist might include the following tools:

  • Laptops and peripherals
  • Smartphone
  • Tablet
  • Smartwatch
  • Multi-socket extension
  • Ethernet Cables
  • Portable network switch
  • Portable router
  • Desktop Software
  • Digital camera
  • Video recording camera
  • Portable storage devices (e.g. USB flash memory)
  • Set of databases
  • Personal care products
    • Towels
    • Body wipes
    • Toothpaste and toothbrush
  • Sleeping bags
  • Blankets and pillows

Prize

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(Hint: Team leader from the best project will take part of the next edition of the Y4PT Global Transport Hackathon!)

Judging Criteria and Jury Panel

The winning project will be chosen by a select jury panel with extensive experience and knowledge in transport subjects.

Each submitted Hackathon project must be brand-new, unpublished (not having been showcased at past events) and in its entirety as well as each component, must be comprised of the team’s original work (third parties’ intellectual property must be properly credited according to the legal terms of these parties’ works).

Hackathon projects must clearly include an approximation of at least:

  • Algorithm
  • Code
  • Graphic interface
  • Business model

Judging Criteria

  • Design – User Experience
  • Scalability
  • Sustainability – Business Model
  • Use and re-use of Open Data
  • Technical Strength of Solution
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Impact
  • Quality of the Pitch

Program – Date and Time

The Hackathon will take place from the 20th Friday until the 25th Wednesday of April 2018.

Thursday, 19 April 2018

  • 00h00 – 17h00: Arrival of hackers from abroad and hotel check-in
    Note: Each person takes care of his/her airport-hotel transfer by public transport (metro stations are located next to the airport and the hotel). Hackers’ hotel address: Ibis One Central – World Trade Centre Dubai (Trade Centre District, Trade Centre, 9914 Dubai, United Arab Emirates). Mentors’ hotel address: Novotel – World Trade Centre Dubai (Al Saada Street, Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
  • 17h00 – 18h00: Tea and coffee time with all the hackers (those who have arrived already) in the hotel lounge
  • 18h00 – On: Free time

Friday, 20 April 2018

  • 07h00 – 08h00: Breakfast at the hotel
  • 08h00 – 08h15: Delivery of NOL 7-day public transport cards (offered by RTA)
  • 08h30 – 09h00: Registration at the hackathon venue. Venue address: Youth X Hub UAE Dubai – Emirates Towers (Emirates Towers Boulevard ,Trade Centre 2 – Dubai). Note: Walking distance from the hotel.
  • 09h00 – 10h00: Welcome and introduction to the global hackathon (led by Y4PT, UITP and RTA top executives). Presentation on Dubai transport’s state of art and Dubai’s open data sets (by RTA experts).
  • 10h00 – 11h00: Brainstorming (presentation of winning projects from abroad) and teaming up
  • 11h00 – 12h30: Beginning of the hackathon (coding starts)
  • 12h30 – 13h30: Lunch for Hackers/Mentors at the hackathon venue
  • 13h30 – 17h00: Technical city visit related to Dubai’s transport challenges (walk tour guided by RTA experts)
    • 1:30 pm move from Emirates Towers to Al Shiekh Zayed Marine Station
    • 2:00 – 3:00 pm Dubai Ferry Tour inside Dubai Canal (Depart and arrive in Shiekh Zayed marine station)
    • 3:00 – 3:30 pm take a walk along Dubai Canal and cross the pedestrian bridge
    • 3:30 pm ride on the bus
    • 3:45 pm reach Al Ghubaiba Bus station
    • 3:45 – 4:00 pm Site tour at Al Ghubaiba Bus Station
    • 4:00 – 4:20 pm Depart from Al Ghubaiba Station to Union Square Metro Station
    • 4:20 – 4:40 pm Tour inside Union Square Metro Station
    • 4:40 – 5:00 pm from Union Square to Emirates Towers
  • 17h00 – 17h30: Coffee break for Hackers/Mentors. Note: Open bar, hackers can keep coding if they want to. Same on days to come.
  • 17h30 – 18h00: Meditation time at the hackathon venue
  • 18h00 – 19h00: Coding resumes
  • 19h00 – 20h00: Dinner at the hackathon venue
  • 20h00 – 22h00: Coding resumes
  • 22h00 – On: Free time

Saturday, 21 April 2018

  • 07h00 – 08h00: Breakfast at the hotel
  • 08h30 – 09h00: Meditation time at the hackathon venue
  • 09h00 – 11h00: Coding resumes
  • 11h00 – 11h30: Coffee break
  • 11h30 – 12h30: Coding resumes (includes first project check point by Y4PT mentors and RTA experts)
  • 12h30 – 13h30: Lunch at the hackathon venue
  • 13h30 – 17h00: Coding resumes
  • 17h00 – 17h30: Coffee break
  • 17h30 – 19h00: Coding resumes (includes second project check point by Y4PT mentors and RTA experts)
  • 19h00 – 20h00: Dinner at the hackathon venue
  • 20h00 – 22h00: Coding resumes
  • 22h00 – On: Free time

Sunday, 22 April 2018

  • 07h00 – 08h00: Breakfast at the hotel
  • 08h30 – 09h00: Meditation time at hackathon venue
  • 09h00 – 11h00: Coding resumes
  • 11h00 – 11h30: Coffee break
  • 11h30 – 12h30: Coding resumes (third and final project check point by Y4PT mentors and RTA experts: rehearsal before pitch)
  • 12h30 – 13h30: Lunch at the hackathon venue
  • 13h30 – 16h00: Finalization of projects before pitch
  • 16h00 – 16h30: Signing of Y4PT Ring Charter (by Y4PT, RTA top executives) and official group photos
  • 16h30 – 17h30: Pitch to jury panel (Y4PT, UITP, RTA, Careem top executives)
  • 17h30 – 18h00: Coffee break and jury panel deliberation
  • 19h00 – 20h00: Dinner at the hackathon venue
  • 20h00 – On: Free time

Monday, 23 April 2018

  • 07h00 – 08h00: Breakfast at the hotel
  • 08h00 – 09h00: Preparation of the hackathon fair (all hackers are required on the spot). Hackathon fair address: Dubai International Convention Centre – World Trade Center (2nd Za’abeel Rd – Dubai – United Arab Emirates).
  • 09h00 – 10h00: Registration at the UITP MENA Congress
  • 10h00 – 11h30: Opening Ceremony of the UITP MENA Congress
    • Release of hackathon video
    • Announcement of hackathon winners (handover of trophies by His Highness the Deputy Ruler of Dubai)
    • Official group photos (with H.H. the Deputy Ruler of Dubai). Note: Formal clothes.
  • 11h30 – 13h30: Launch of the hackathon fair (presentation of hackathon projects by all hackers)
    • Alessandra GORINI’s speech
    • Handover of prizes by Mr. AL-MULA
  • 13h30 – 14h30: Lunch at the UITP MENA Congress
  • 14h30 – 16h30: Hackathon fair resumes (all hackers required on the spot)
  • 16h30 – 18h00: Welcome reception of the UITP MENA Congress
  • 18h00 – On: Free time

Tuesday, 24 April 2018

  • 07h00 – 08h00: Breakfast at the hotel (included in stay)
    08h30 – 09h00: Meditation time at the hackathon fair
    09h00 – 10h30: Hackathon fair resumes (all hackers required on the spot)
    10h30 – 11h00: Coffee break. Note: At least one team member per project must remain at the hackathon fair. Same on days to come.
    11h00 – 12h30: Hackathon fair resumes (all hackers required on the spot)
    12h30 – 13h15: Lunch at the UITP MENA Congress
    13h15 – 14h00: Meeting with H.E. Mr. Al-Tayer (CEO of RTA Dubai, a.k.a. “Dubai’s Minister of Transport”) and the hackers at the RTA Exhibition Stand (Place: Exhibition Area, Hall 5)
    14h00 – 15h30: Hackathon fair resumes (all hackers required on the spot)
    15h30 – 16h00: Coffee break
    16h00 – 18h00: Hackathon fair resumes (all hackers required on the spot)
    18h00 – 22h00: Networking dinner of the UITP MENA Congress
    22h00 – On: Free time

Wednesday, 25 April 2018

  • 07h00 – 08h00: Breakfast at the hotel (included in stay)
    08h30 – 09h00: Meditation time at the hackathon fair
    09h00 – 10h30: Hackathon fair resumes (all hackers required on the spot)
    10h30 – 11h00: Coffee break
    11h00 – 12h30: Hackathon fair resumes (all hackers required on the spot)
    12h30 – 13h00: Y4PT-UITP-RTA Group Photo (Place: Plenary Session Room, Hall 4)
    13h00 – 13h30: Closing Ceremony of the UITP MENA Congress
    13h30 – 14h30: Lunch at the UITP MENA Congress
    14h30 – 16h00: Internal meeting with all hackers at the hackathon fair
    16h00 – On: Free time

Thursday, 26 April 2018

  • 00h00 – 23h59: Breakfast at the hotel, hotel check-out and departure of hackers from abroad

Venue

The Hackathon will be held in the Emirate of Dubai (United Arab Emirates, Middle East).

Other Y4PT-related activities during the UITP MENA Congress

Apart from the Hackathon, there will be other Y4PT-related activities during the 7th Y4PT World Youth Meeting Dubai 2018 in the framework of the UITP MENA Congress. Take a look!

To be confirmed:

  • Y4PT Hackathon Wrap-Up during the Opening Ceremony of the UITP MENA Congress
  • Y4PT Hackathon Fair at the UITP MENA Congress
  • Y4PT Spot at both UITP’s and RTA’s Exhibition Stands

Further information at https://www.y4pt.org/projects/youth-meeting/dubai-2018/ .

Organizers

The Hackathon brings together the most important actors in the transport sector worldwide:

  • Roads and Transport Authority of the Emirate of Dubai (RTA Dubai) (https://www.rta.ae/): One of the most acknowledged and respected transport authorities in the world, RTA Dubai is the local government entity that regulates urban mobility in the whole Emirate.
  • Careem (https://www.careem.com/): Established as a Dubai-headquatered shared mobility company in 2012, Careem provides the MENA region’s top app-based carsharing solution.
  • International Association of Public Transport (UITP) (https://www.uitp.org/): With over 133 years of history, UITP is the only spokesperson for the public transport sector worldwide, representing the interests of all stakeholders, including authorities, operators, supply industry, academic-research centers, civil society, among others.
  • Youth For Public Transport (Y4PT) Foundation (https://www.y4pt.org/): Established more than 13 years ago by the UITP, Y4PT is the leading global youth network on sustainable transport.

Contact

For further information, contact the Hackathon coordinators:

Keeping up with #Y4PThackathon

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Follow up the Y4PT Transport Hackathon series on social networking/media websites ( https://www.y4pt.org/social-networks ) such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube by using the hashtag #Y4PThackathon .


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