Rethinking transport for a digital age

Transport is integral to delivering on most of the new government’s missions, whether that’s connecting businesses to achieve growth, providing battery storage for the energy system, connecting people to job and social opportunities or supporting healthy living.

The sector is undergoing a transformative journey, albeit having had something of a head start. Trains, buses and motorways were digitised earlier than many other sectors. This was in large part due to their need to monitor and optimise their operation, and the relative ease of adding connected, data generating devices to assets and infrastructure. But being ahead of the curve with data and digital has meant that the industry is behind when it comes to adapting to changing consumer and technological trends. These challenges must be addressed given the critical role transport plays in so many of the objectives central to the future growth and sustainability of the UK.

The data models used to understand current usage patterns and forecast future transport usage are opaque. Only a few consultancies own the intellectual property and have the know-how to own and run them, as well as a bias towards the discredited “predict and provide” approach. Many transport data services are designed with specialist users in mind, and whilst the many consumer focused transport apps such as CityMapper are an essential part of citizens' travel plans, the app-itisation of the technology hasn’t been done with the consumer experience in mind, as the plethora of competing and confusing train apps shows. Finally, in common with other built environment sectors, there is limited interaction of data and people across energy, land use planning and environment professions. 

What are the big plays? 

Key to transforming the sector are statutory requirements for open data in bus and rail services, a strategic shift towards active and public transport, integrated planning using real-time data, and the development of innovative rural transport strategies. Not taking a Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) approach to this change is unimaginable in this day and age, and combining the domain experience of the sector with digital natives will give rise to innovation and accelerate ambitions.

The likely increased empowerment of regional local government and transport authorities in the UK will also be crucial for managing transport infrastructure with greater autonomy while addressing local economic and land use challenges. We must ensure part of the new wave of devolved responsibilities and autonomy for sub regional government structures can help them mandate data standardisation. This will catalyse opportunities to scale and replicate solutions to common problems and help realise some of the potential open data can bring to delivering on ambition.

Open data and integrated planning

The UK Government's commitment to open data is clear. This is evident in initiatives like the Bus Open Data Service (BODS) and similar mandates for rail services. These initiatives require transport operators to publish information on routes, timetables, and fares. This will help third-party developers create apps which will improve journey planning and provide real-time info for passengers.

At the same time, real-time data is key to creating efficient, user-friendly transport systems. It lets operators quickly manage services in response to changes, like traffic, weather, or sudden passenger surges.

Tech advances, especially in data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), have made real-time data integration better and easier. For instance, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) uses real-time data to manage traffic flow and public transport schedules, improving efficiency and reducing passenger wait times. This data-driven approach helps allocate resources better and ensures that transport services are both responsive and resilient.

Real-time data also improves the user experience. It gives passengers up-to-date info on service status, delays, and alternative routes. Real-time update apps and platforms are now essential for commuters, helping them plan and adjust their journeys.

We are currently working with our long term partner Transport for Wales (TFW) to help them connect and process key data from their new fleet of trains. These trains have 150 sensors located throughout the carriages and the project will give TfW the ability to harness data from these (using an Azure Data Platform and Power BI integration) to transform the way insight is used for integration, analytics and reporting. 

Accelerating into the future

We're building a different vision of how we can accelerate change, one that bridges the gap between traditional, technical consulting and modern digital transformation. We’ve already been involved in some exciting innovations in the transport sector. This includes developing and trialling green transport solutions centred on user needs for future transport zones, designing prototypes to improve rural mobility and developing tools to assist local authorities in planning EV charging infrastructure. Combining our learning from similar spatial and connectivity challenges across the sector will be game changing in aligning cross-policy and delivery that can develop holistic solutions for future transport challenges and create a better experience for everyone.

This brings a unique perspective on the challenges faced by public bodies and allows us to deliver large-scale transformations, develop geospatial products, design open data infrastructures, and support capability building whilst intrinsically understanding how complex the place and infrastructure ecosystem is.