Poster: "NavConnect: Empowering Boatmen Through USSD-based Transportation Services"

The transportation sector plays a vital role in the economic development of many countries, particularly low-income ones. In Bangladesh, the vast network of rivers and waterways makes boats the most accessible and cost-effective mode of transportation. However, boatmen who work in transportation environments face numerous obstacles related to navigation, safety, communication, and record-keeping. These challenges can significantly hinder their ability to carry out their daily activities, impacting their livelihoods and potentially posing risks to their lives [1]. To address these challenges, a USSD-based service called NavConnect offers an accessible and effective solution. NavConnect's USSD menu provides several options, including navigation assistance, journey logs, safety reporting, weather alerts, market information, regulatory updates, training, and emergency assistance. The system is designed to cater to the unique needs of boatmen in transportation contexts, aiming to enhance operational efficiency, safety, and communication within the boatmen community.

NavConnect's system design takes into account the limited capabilities of feature phones [2]. The interface of USSD is lightweight and requires minimal data usage, making it accessible to boatmen even in low-connectivity areas. Data collection procedures include creating user profiles with essential information, and users interact with the USSD menu to input journey logs, cargo data, safety reports, and more [3].

After completing the service, we conduct eight pilot services in four different locations of Bangladesh with thirty four boatmen, including the sea areas. We are successfully able to transact data in all the rivers without any hindrances. However, in the sea, we face some issues after a certain range due to a lack of internet connectivity. This remains a major challenge that we are adding to our future work. Moreover, while conducting the pilot study, we take reviews from the boatmen, and as per the assessment, we make some updates in the first two pilot studies. After that, we did not get that many update suggestions. Currently, our service is running in two boat ports as per the test phase, and we hope to add more ports to our service. In conclusion, NavConnect's USSD-based service has the potential to revolutionize the way boatmen in low-income countries operate. By enhancing communication, safety, and efficiency, NavConnect's service is a critical step towards a more secure and productive transportation industry.