Connectivity and intermodality are key factors for boosting the attractiveness and development of public transport and new technologies and solutions definitely have a say. The continuous development of technology launches many challenges for both passengers, who change their mobility behaviour and needs, and for the operators who are confronted with the amendment of systems regarding the provisions of services which impact on public transport development.
For example, the advantages of wireless technologies have convinced 73.4% of the world population to use such technologies, the number of wireless users soaring to 5 billion in 2010. This made the market of smart phones increase by 79.7% in the first half of 2011. In the transport system, these technologies and solutions mean increasing the role of the information delivered to the permanently connected passengers, the use of mobility services in a complex and seamless transport system as regards the interaction of information to transport networks.
Therefore, public service suppliers have to develop an offer which relies on the concept of “connected passenger”, offer that would include a combination of innovative services and the optimisation of the existing services leading together to complex information delivery.
The wide-spreading of smart applications, including payment methods and information access, will facilitate the use of public transport vehicles, will increase public transport share, will change people’s behaviour and will innovate the entire transport system.
To find out more about the necessity of modern technologies in delivering public transport services and about the importance of implementing new concepts, Ivo Cré, Project Manager – POLIS, has agreed to detail these facts in an interview.
Railway PRO: Many companies develop technologies and solutions to make connections efficient and to develop the intermodality of public transport, but their launch also means to change the lifestyle of citizens. How can the citizens be persuaded to change their lifestyle by embracing technology and what are the methods for attracting an increasing number of passengers towards urban public transport rather than cars?
Ivo Cré: The EU FP7 research project NODES established a vision for intermodality for passenger transport. In this survey, all stakeholders in intermodality, being researchers, passengers, local authorities and operators, refer to the passenger as ‘the connected traveller’. This connected traveller concept is the result of two processes: the individual is getting more acquainted with hi-tech in his daily life (e.g. digital natives) and the transport environment is embracing information technology concepts that are established in other sectors. Specific technological applications such as geo-referencing become common in day-to-day activities. In my opinion the technology will reinforce rather than change societal trends in transport. An example is for instance the inclusion of shared modes (public bicycles, shared vehicles) within the intermodal chain. This is a trend that has started well before smartphones were around. New technologies make the systems more flexible, and more intuitive and enable the realisation of the driving societal trend, namely the transition from an ownership-based economy towards a service/experience based economy.
With this view that technology will rather reinforce, facilitate societal trends rather than changing lifestyles, it should also be said that the potential of inducing modal shift by means of these systems should not be overestimated. Individuals will look for these technologies and applications that solve particular problems. Public transport information systems as such might not be advanced enough to create the basis for modal shift. Instruments that create portfolios of mobility solutions, including PT, shared modes, parking etc. might work better.
Railway PRO: New technologies use the applications of smartphones. How many passengers are using this device for public transport applications? To what extend do they answer to mobility needs to encourage the increasing market share of public transport?
Ivo Cré: Studies say that by 2015, about 100 million Europeans will use smart phones. By then they will also double the use of mobile websites and applications. Overall in apps development, transport oriented applications (ranging from GPS routing to PT information) are popular. As stated above, the connected and informed traveller will use the smart phone (or other means to get connected) to find solutions to his travel problem. The most convincing solution in terms of availability, price, reliability etc. will win. Urban public transport can have all the advantages the connected traveller is looking for.
Railway PRO: How does smart ticketing answer to sustainable mobility needs in urban regions?
Ivo Cré: Smart ticketing has several advantages: It can facilitate the distribution of revenue between different operators; it creates (as good as) free flow conditions in interchanges and in vehicles; it provides interesting data about travel patterns and interchange between modes and vehicles, enabling the network planners to improve the service, by through-linking lines etc; for the traveller the use of the system becomes easier. He does not have to worry about ticketing and fares; the system also allows to package additional transport services into one smart card, thus expanding travel options for the passenger.
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