Kyiv Digital, the official city transport app for the Ukrainian capital city, has been transformed into a tool that warns of air raids, directs people to the nearest bomb shelter or garage with petrol supplies, according to a report by the Guardian.
The app was previously used to purchase public transport tickets and pay for parking in Kyiv until its focus was changed in just 24 hours following Russia’s invasion, with help of the country’s chief digital transformation officer (CDTO) – the Kyiv deputy mayor Petro Olenych.
A spokesperson for the CDTO told the Guardian that the app now has 1.5 million users and is one of the top free applications in the Ukrainian app store.
“Kyiv Digital has become the essential tool for warnings and alarms in the city. The novelties include a map of bomb shelters, map of available pharmacies and the access of insulin, a map of grocery stores, a map of points with free water and bread, pet shops, humanitarian headquarters, and more,” the spokesperson said.
According to the Guardian, before the invasion Kyiv’s underground train service was used by one million people a day. Currently, stations serve as emergency shelters for an estimated 15,000 Kyiv residents, who take cover on platforms and in hallways once the city’s 7pm curfew begins.
What’s more, the city’s Metro is running on one track every 90 minutes while the opposite platform has stationed carriages for people to wait, sit or sleep, the article reported.
“We must adapt our services and we have done. Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are working more cohesively and productively than ever. The reason is obvious. We defend our country, our cities, our residents, our parents, our children and our future. This is our home so we will fight to the last,” said Olencyh in a statement.
Additionally, Google has introduced a rapid alert system for android phones across Ukraine at the request of the government. “This work is supplemental to the country’s existing air raid alert systems, and based on alerts already being delivered by the Ukrainian government,” Google said on a company blog.
