Built with a modern angular front-end and a robust Node.js/MySQL backend, the map refreshes transit locations every five seconds, providing dynamic and up-to- date movement. Custom icons distinguish different vehicle types, and layers can be toggled or personalized to suit user preferences.
Beyond transit monitoring, maps.mo-bi.ro introduces a traffic layer -refreshed every five minutes- that overlays current road conditions directly onto the map. This addition enhances trip planning by offering insights into congestion and delays.
This traffic integration is made possible through partnerships with Google and Waze, leveraging their advanced data streams for accurate, real-time traffic insights. Waze’s community-driven data allows for rich reporting of incidents, while Google's mapping infrastructure ensures seamless visualization and routing quality.
Moreover, the platform supports planning for emerging transit services. Its "Metropolitan Train Stations" layer includes the operational Bucharest North–Henri Coandă route and outlines future corridors like Bucharest North–Buftea– croviștea, supporting transparency and future mobility integration.
By combining GTFS real-time data, open-API access, traffic overlays, and future transit projections, maps.mo-bi.ro stands out as a comprehensive public-transport information hub. An essential tool for both everyday commuters and urban planners, it helps foster a smarter, more connected Bucharest-Ilfov.
Explore the platform here
This innovation comes at a time when the region is facing serious mobility challenges:
- Congestion: Bucharest is consistently ranked among Europe’s most congested cities, with drivers losing nearly 100 hours annually in traffic jams (INRIX, 2023).
- Ridership growth: despite these challenges, transit use is climbing. In the first half of 2024, STB (the main operator) sold 23.1 million tickets, compared to 21.2 million in the same period in 2023 -an 8.7% increase year-over-year (Romania-Insider, 2024).
- User satisfaction: public transport accounts for about 44% of trips in Bucharest, but satisfaction is just 52%, significantly below the ~90% levels reported in cities like Vienna or Amsterdam. This highlights the importance of platforms like maps.mo-bi.ro, which improve predictability and reliability (MDPI, 2024).
Economic & social value
Traffic congestion continues to weigh heavily on the economy, costing Bucharest billions of euros annually in lost productivity and wasted fuel. Real-time information platforms can reduce passenger waiting times by 15–20% (UITP, 2023), helping ease the pressure.
Meanwhile, Bucharest – Ilfov region is making significant investments to modernize the passenger experience:
- 1,100+ stations across the region wil be equipped with real-time information panels, both visual and audible.
- A fleet renewal program will add 22 zero-emission trolleybuses.
- 85 intersections are will be modernized to prioritize public transport vehicles (TPBI Projects).
These improvements support transparency, build trust among passengers, and encourage more residents to choose public transport over private cars. Open data also drives economic value: the European Commission estimates that open transport data contributes around €20 billion annually to the EU economy.
Environmental Impact
The region’s strategy for sustainable mobility is already yielding measurable results:
- Fleet modernization: between 2021–2024, Bucharest added 130 hybrid buses and 100 electric buses. In 2024 alone, this shift reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 13% compared to 2023, saving over 11 kilotons of CO₂e (MDPI, 2024).
- Cleaner mobility: each new electric bus prevents around 1,000 tons of CO₂ over its lifetime compared to diesel equivalents (EEA, 2022).
- Urban air quality: studies show that moving just 10% of daily commuters from cars to public transport can reduce urban CO₂ emissions by 30–40% per capita.
These investments, combined with digital platforms like maps.mo-bi.ro, create a transport system that is not only greener but also more efficient and user-friendly.
Why this is useful for other regions
The platform serves as a valuable example of good practice in urban mobility. By combining open transit data, real-time vehicle tracking, and traffic information, it illustrates how cities can use available data to make transport systems more efficient and reliable. Any region with accessible public transport and traffic data can implement similar solutions, tailored to their local context.
Platforms like this demonstrate the benefits of transparency, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making, helping municipalities optimize routes, inform citizens, and encourage sustainable mobility.
Commitment to Sustainable Mobility
The Bucharest-Ilfov region is committed to promoting sustainable mobility as a core element of its transport strategy. New investments in modern, eco-friendly vehicles, including electric buses and low-emission trams, are transforming the public transport network and reducing the environmental impact of daily commuting. This shift toward cleaner, greener mobility aligns with the region’s broader goals of reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, and encouraging residents to choose public transport over private cars.
By pairing these modern vehicles with real-time information platforms like maps.mo-bi.ro, the region ensures that sustainable mobility is not only environmentally responsible but also convenient, efficient, and reliable for all commuters.
This article has been written by the Bucharest-Ilfov Intercommunity Development Association for Public Transport, one of our network partners.
