Integrated real-time information - an enabler of enhanced public transport service delivery

Santosh Komal

The operations between these various providers are not integrated and often function in isolation. This makes information sharing between providers challenging, which, in turn, adds complexity to effective planning. Without information sharing between the various stakeholders, obtaining an integrated, real-time view is a hurdle. Enhancing service delivery requires this information to deliver services that are convenient, reliable and usable for citizens across all of the different service providers, closing the gap between what commuters require and what public transport providers deliver.

The usability and reliability of public transport is the key to its effectiveness, and in driving more widespread adoption of public transport services. This requires visibility, which, in turn, requires real-time information across the entire public transport value chain. However, gaining this visibility is typically challenging in an environment that is heavily siloed between different transport methods and different providers. For example, in many suburbs and particularly in rural areas, there is no information available with regard to travel times, such as when the next bus or train will be available. Finding information about scheduled journeys, and whether or not these are taking place, is also difficult.

Operating in isolation

While effort is being made in individual areas to provide higher levels of visibility, each area and province, controlled by different municipalities, is operating in isolation. Multiple service providers, all using different systems, make the integration of different interfaces challenging, which can have a negative impact on the overall user experience.

For example, the Gautrain uses a card system for travel, but many buses and trains use cash and each requires its own ticket. This means that multiple tickets need to be purchased for a journey that involves different modes of transport. This challenge is made more complex when travellers cross different price zones, such as across provinces, as without an integrated real-time view, passengers may have to purchase several different transport tickets in different areas, rather than a single ticket at the point of departure which is valid for the entire journey.

This siloed approach prevents information from being shared and collated, something that is essential for effective transport service delivery. Streamlining individual segments is a step in the right direction; however, in order to ensure maximum convenience for citizens it is vital to examine the overall public transport experience.

Delivering an effective public transport system requires a solution that addresses the user experience, making public transport a convenient, reliable alternative. Having brilliant, innovative technology will not in itself solve the problem - this requires an understanding of data and how the various transport sectors interact. Information plays a pivotal role in creating effectiveness and efficiency from a customer perspective.

An innovative holistic solution

Creating a seamless, transparent experience across different areas, provinces and tariff zones, and even different methods of transport, such as trains and buses, requires that information and technology be integrated into an innovative holistic solution. An e-ticketing solution implemented across the country and across different modes of transport not only simplifies travel for passengers, it also provides opportunities for discounted services based on frequent usage or commercialisation services that add value to passengers.

Such solutions can also help transport operators to understand their business better and contribute to better planning. By sharing information, business processes and operating procedures can be optimised, tariffs can be streamlined and the user experience can be improved, which, in turn, helps to improve revenue and attract more customers.

Having a solution that integrates the different service provider systems is the key to creating the visibility necessary for a seamless user experience. T-Systems has proved this concept with the Ticket4All solution implemented in Austria. Ticket4All acts as aggregator that integrates into many service provider systems, delivering a seamless, integrated ticketing experience for passengers regardless of where and how they travel.

For example, a passenger can use an intuitive web portal to book and pay for his journey across the country on multiple transport methods across multiple providers, and get the best price for his journey, simplifying the entire experience.

Integrated solutions improve service delivery through an improved user experience. However, such a solution needs to be driven by all stakeholders, from transport providers to the government, as well as solution providers, if it is to be successful in South Africa. For the passenger to benefit, all service providers and the government need to align their operations and work together. This, in turn, will provide greater visibility around operations, which assists with more effective planning and service delivery.

The ultimate goal is to deliver efficient, effective services that meet the needs of the citizens of South Africa. This concept of zero distance, closing the gap between the various stakeholders such as service provider, the government and passengers, is the key to improving service delivery.