Duitama, Colombia, took center stage as delegations from five Peruvian cities – Arequipa, Cusco, Huamanga, Piura, and Trujillo – converged on November 22 and 23 to learn more about the impact of the Trufi BusBoy app as it evolves from a single-city journey planner into a source of informal transport data and mobility empowerment for an entire Colombian region.
The Peruvian delegation was comprised of 20 public officials, including technical staff, councilors, and specialists from national institutions in the transportation and environment sectors. Their five-day exploration in Colombia included visits to Medellín, Duitama, and Sogamoso.
The study trip, facilitated by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) through the “Climate-friendly public services in selected cities in Peru” project (SDL), sought to examine solutions beyond major metropolises. The project focuses on modern approaches to comprehensive management, including climate change mitigation, citizen orientation, gender and accessibility, quality management, and digitization.
Beyond Metropolises: Examining Medium-Sized City Solutions
By engaging medium-sized cities such as Duitama, the GIZ delegation saw first hand how Trufi solutions are part of a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to urban development and innovation.
The BusBoy app journey began when Trufi’s open-source code was matched with transport data mapped by high school students at Duitama’s Salesiano College. At Salesiano, Trufi’s Leonardo Gutierrez has taught multiple cohorts of students to use OpenStreetMap to map transport routes. The app recently expanded to include bus routes in the neighboring city of Sogamoso.
The GIZ delegation met with Gutierrez for his insights into the innovative urban technologies, and transport data. And they met with city officials from both Duitama and Sogamoso for their perspectives.
Digital Tools and Community Engagement: Cornerstones of Urban Resilience
International organizations such as GIZ, are recognizing the transformative potential of the approach modeled by Gutierrez in Duitama: open source, open data, and open to participation by anyone. The utilization of digital tools in municipal services, the exchange of experiences, and the identification of adaptable practices underscore the significance of community-driven solutions in creating resilient and interconnected urban environments.