Africa's Talking, Nairobi County and Liquid Intelligence Technologies proudly present an unparalleled event aimed at redefining the future of transportation: the Open Hackathon aimed at building solutions on Transport and Logistics, with a spotlight on Traffic and Parking Solutions, in Nairobi, Kenya. This event is crafted to address the pressing challenges of urban mobility, focusing on innovative and practical solutions to traffic congestion and parking dilemmas that plague the city of Nairobi. By leveraging technology and creativity, the hackathon aspires to transform Nairobi into a model of efficient urban transport and logistics.

The United Kingdom’s DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service (VES) API[1] plays a crucial role in supporting traffic and parking solutions by offering real-time access to vehicle details based on registration numbers. Traffic management systems can utilize this API to track vehicles entering and exiting specific zones, facilitating efficient traffic flow management. Additionally, parking solutions can leverage the API to streamline parking enforcement processes by verifying vehicle ownership and registration details, thereby reducing fraudulent parking activities and enhancing revenue collection for municipalities. Furthermore, integration of this API into parking apps or systems can provide users with accurate information about available parking spaces and payment options, contributing to a smoother parking experience for residents and visitors alike.

Challenges:

• Traffic Congestion: Develop intelligent traffic management systems that can adapt in real-time to changing conditions, reduce congestion, and enhance the flow of vehicles.
• Traffic Rules Compliance: Develop technology-driven solutions to ensure adherence to traffic rules, reducing accidents and enhancing road safety.

• Traffic Coordination: Innovate ways to coordinate traffic across different modes of transport, ensuring smooth transitions and reducing bottlenecks at key points in the city.

• Smart Parking Solutions: Innovate parking technologies that optimize the use of available spaces, reduce search time for parking, and integrate with city planning tools.
• Public Transport Efficiency: Create solutions to improve the scheduling, routing, and capacity management of public transportation, making it a more appealing option for residents.
• Vehicle Pollution Control: Address environmental concerns by proposing solutions that help reduce emissions from vehicles, especially in congested areas.
• Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety: Enhance the safety of non-motorized transport users through innovative approaches to urban design and traffic management.
• Efficient Parking Payment Systems: Create user-friendly, efficient digital payment solutions for parking, reducing time and hassle for drivers and improving revenue collection for the city.

Target Attendees:

• Software Engineers: Professionals skilled in coding and software development, capable of translating complex problems into innovative software solutions.
• Developers: Developers who are passionate in solving day to day problems which present progressive development while addressing human challenges
• Tech Innovators: Individuals or teams with a passion for leveraging technology to solve complex problems.
• Urban Mobility Experts: Professionals with insights into the dynamics of urban transportation and logistics.
• Environmental Advocates: Those committed to reducing the carbon footprint of urban centers through smarter transport solutions.
• Policy Makers: Decision-makers interested in evidence-based policies to improve city transport logistics.
• Engineering Students and Academics: Young minds and scholars keen on contributing fresh ideas to the fields of urban planning, engineering, and technology.

Objectives:

• Innovate for Efficiency: Inspire the creation of groundbreaking solutions that significantly improve traffic and parking management in Nairobi.
• Promote Sustainable Urban Mobility: Encourage solutions that support a shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly modes of transportation.
• Strengthen Community Involvement: Engage the Nairobi community in discussions and actions towards solving the city's traffic and parking challenges.
• Showcase Talent: Highlight local and regional talent in technology and urban planning, providing them a platform to contribute to their city's development through software solution.
• Influence Policy Development: Generate practical and innovative ideas that can be adopted by policymakers for better urban transport and logistics management.

Prizes:The winning solutions will receive cash prizes:

• Winner: $100
• 1st Runner-Up: $50
• 2nd Runner-Up: $25

Find the Hackathon Presentation Meeting Link Here.

New to Africa's Talking? Get started here.

Access Liquid Intelligence Technologies API Documentation: HERE. 

Developer Documentation (We welcome feedback)

The mock API has been pre-populated with over 50 vehicle entries. The vehicle registration numbers for these entries can be found HERE .

The HuggingFace license-plate-reader demo app can be found here.

Agenda:

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Warm-Up

• Introductions
• Team Formation (if needed)
• Feedback Session
• Feature Requests

9:30 AM - 1:00 PM: Building/Hacking

• Code on GitHub/GitLab/BitBucket
• Deploy in Docker/Automated CI/Travis CI/Bamboo
• Note: Additional setup may be required

1:00 PM : Lunch

1:00 PM - 5:00PM: Building Continues

• Code on GitHub/GitLab/BitBucket
• Deploy in Docker/Automated CI/Travis CI/Bamboo
• Note: Additional setup may be required

5:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Demonstration and Wrap-Up

• Teams or individuals will demo their projects for feedback or potential adoption

• Note: Please bring your laptop

Opportunities:

• Networking
• Innovation
• Access to Talent Bench (Job and Gig Opportunities)

New to Africa's Talking? Get started here.

Developer Documentation (We welcome feedback)

Submit your Idea:

• Hackathon idea submission form

Gigs:

We would love to reach out to you so that you can build for our customers, please fill out this form with details to ensure we have your details:

GIG/HACK DEVELOPER PORTFOLIO FORM

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