Only Better Mass Transit Will End Traffic Jams, Says Automotive Company CEO

Only an improvement in mass transportation will eliminate traffic jams, Asi Schmeltzer, chairman of automotive company Shlomo Group Holdings, said Monday at Calcalist and Israel's Bank Leumi's Mind the Tech conference in Tel Aviv. Only after this is done can new models such as congestion charges be discussed, he said.

"I want to discuss three issues that pertain to our world: data, analysis, and electrification," Schmeltzer said. "Today we can connect with both the driver and the vehicle. The data we collect, we can share. The third aspect is the new vehicle world, which integrates electricity and the monitoring of car charges." The autonomous vehicle dream is still far from viable especially for the private market and for the open road, he said.

Regarding the use of databases for innovation, Schmeltzer said each driver contributes to the collection of data needed to manage car and driver fleets. "It's the driver, his family that also uses the car, and the vehicle itself. We will create tools using our data, and businesses that will not do that will not survive."