Beat the Traffic mobile application

To: Mr. Khalifa Al Naimi, Ministry of Interior at Qatar

From: Saly Matta, Class of 2018 Texas A&M University at Qatar
My name is Saly Matta, I am currently studying Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M
University at Qatar. My classmates and I are currently conducting a research study in our
English 210 course regarding applications that can be put to use and benefit the society.
My project is about a mobile application called Beat the Traffic mobile application and
the reason I thought of this idea is because of how rapidly Qatar is currently growing and
how I think an application would be of great use and help to the citizens living in Qatar.
Background context and usability of Beat the Traffic application
Due to the heavy traffic jams in Qatar, an application can be of great help to both
parents and students who need to get to their destinations on time. Therefore, I have
surveyed 30 parents and students from ages 18-45 who drive cars to find out if they think
a traffic app would help them reach their destinations on time. More than half of the
respondents indicated that a mobile app regarding traffic would be extremely helpful and
would definitely help them get to their destinations on time. The app would be specific to
Qatar as opposed to Google Maps which is worldwide. In addition to this, the app will
inform the driver about better or faster routes that he wishes to take in order to reach the
required destination faster. Furthermore, Beat the Traffic app will notify the person
driving of routes that have traffic jams and roads that are closed/blocked. This application
can help reduce traffic jams and accidents since drivers will be aware of blocked roads and
accidents and will be able to avoid them.
Goals of Beat the Traffic application and methods by which these goals will be
achieved
This app would benefit the whole society in Qatar since about 75% (Dr. Evans, Dr.
Davies, Dr. Ping) of the parents in Qatar work and need to get to their workplace on time
and the students need to get to their schools/universities on time. If parents have
important meetings and students have important exams and they dont want to arrive late
to their destinations, then this app would be ideal for them. This application will have
positive effects on the whole society such as reducing possible traffic jams, accidents and
possible tardiness problems for both parents and students. Waze application is a mobile
application that helps drivers recognize areas where there are accidents and it helps them
pick alternative routes they can take to reach their destinations. Examples from the Waze
application of how Beat the Traffic application will approximately look like are shown in
pages 2,3 and 4. Beat the Traffic application will be different from the Waze application
in a couple of ways. Firstly, Beat the Traffic application will only be for Qatar whereas the
Waze application is a worldwide application. Secondly, Beat the Traffic application will be
giving its users updates on their mobiles to inform them about any new accidents or
congested roads to avoid. In pages 2,3,4 there are images of some of the features that
Beat the Traffic application will include which are also present in the Waze application.

Figure 1: Prototype of Beat the Traffic Application

Beat the Traffic application will include:

Areas of current traffic accidents

Routes and maps to specific locations in Qatar
Time and distance to reach destinations
Areas of traffic jams within 15 km from the location of the driver
Suggestions for faster alternative routes to required destination

Figure 2: How Beat the Traffic application will indicate traffic jam

As the figure shows, Beat the Traffic application will indicate areas where
there are traffic jams within 15 km from the location of the driver. In addition to
this, Beat the Traffic application will state whether the situation is a heavy
traffic one or a complete standstill case.

Figure 3: Beat the Traffic mobile application will show the time and
distance remaining to reach the required destination

Beat the Traffic application will also indicate the time and distance remaining
to get to the destination that the user specified. In addition to this, Beat the
Traffic application will suggest faster routes to the driver and indicate the time
saved by taking the alternate route.

Results and Recommendations

Beat the Traffic application would not only help citizens get to their destinations on time
but will also help in reducing the traffic jam and accidents in Qatar. This application could
benefit Qatars society greatly and help its growth and development process which was an
average of 3.75 percent from 2004 to 2014 to flow smoothly without causing undue
problems to local citizens (Qatar GDP Growth Rate). I recommend that the application be
free and for everyone to use since advertising this application will not be so costly and the
total cost of developing the application will be about 90,000$ (Maxwell) . Even though this
might seem to be a large number, the costs of developing this application can be covered
through direct revenue that the application will make and through other methods such as
advertising which can in turn help developers increase their take. The app will have a
huge impact on the society since it will help in reducing traffic jams.

Conclusion and Call for Adoption

Beat the Traffic application would be of great help to parents and students living in
Qatar. In addition to this, it has so many advantages and advertising it can be done easily
through websites and television ads. Therefore, I really do hope you consider my idea and I
would be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns that you might have. In
addition, I am willing to work with an experienced software developer from your company
and explain to him the features of the application and how implementing the application
can make a huge impact on the society. The reason I think you should pick Beat the
Traffic application is because it is specific to Qatar and its citizens and it will have the
additional feature of giving its users updates on their mobiles to inform them about any
new accidents or congested roads to avoid which is an extremely beneficial and useful
addition.

Works Cited Page

1. Maxwell, Aaron. "Is Developing a Mobile App Worth the Cost?" Mashable. Web. 10
Apr. 2015. <http://mashable.com/2011/02/24/mobile-app-dev-cost/>.
2. Dr. Evans, Dr. Davies, Dr. Ping. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. Child Well Being in Qatar.
http://www.gsdp.gov.qa/portal/page/portal/gsdp_en/knowledge_center/Tab2/Child
%20Well-being-English.pdf
3. "Qatar GDP Growth Rate | 2004-2015 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast." Qatar
GDP Growth Rate | 2004-2015 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast. Web. 24 Apr.
2015. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/qatar/gdp-growth
4. "Waze Application - Google Search." Waze Application - Google Search. Web. 24 Apr.
2015.
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=waze+application&espv=2&biw=1242&bih=599&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=
X&ei=VWo6VaSzD82R7AbJ4oCABw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ>