Promoting multimodal ticketing, furthering collaboration, the development of a fares modelling tool and delivering passenger behaviour research are central in Transport for the North’s (TfN) newly launched Connected Mobility Strategy.
The Strategy aims to reduce duplication of processes, streamline payments and enable integration of ticketing across different modes of transportation by focusing action on three key themes: the future of ticketing, data and infrastructure and future mobility.
The most immediate priority, the transport body says, is supporting the delivery of multimodal ticketing schemes, such as that seen in the North East and South Yorkshire. As part of this, it aims to provide resources and toolkits for implementing multimodal ticketing, including documentation on standardised governance. The creation of a “ticketing schemes” advisory group to share best practice is also planned. It notes the success of tickets using QR codes but says “there is limited standardisation on how they work, especially on buses”.
TfN says it has a crucial role to play in ensuring that learning from initiatives taken by local authorities is shared so that duplication of effort and costs can be reduced. It also plans to identify areas where there are economies of scale that indicate the benefits of joint working between authorities
It also promotes the capped-fares approach to ticketing, tourist-industry friendly offers and timetables. The document also argues for more and better-structured regional funding to deliver innovation which improve the passenger experience.
The publication also highlights how changing travel patterns have made it difficult for operators to plan networks and ticketing schemes. It says that demand-responsive transport may play a larger role in future and that it will encourage the sharing of best practice in this regard.
Martin Tugwell, Chief Executive at Transport for the North, says: “We’re delighted to launch our Connected Mobility Strategy, which builds on, and empowers, local successes and decision-making in delivering more connected journeys. The way people travel from point A to point B is changing and the Strategy will go a long way towards giving passengers better information on their travel choices. It’s not about reinventing the wheel; instead, it’s about helping the wheel move faster for passengers in the North.
“Putting the passenger at the heart of our transport system is central to transforming the North’s transport offering. The evidence base and tools held by Transport for the North will support local decision makers bring forward solutions that meet their communities’ needs. In this way the Strategy will play a key role in transforming connectivity across the North and help create a transport system that meets the demands of the 21st-century passenger.”
Matt Smallwood, Connected Mobility Manager at Transport for the North, adds: “With 95% of the population predicted to have smart phones by 2025, and almost 40% of all payments in 2022 using a contactless card, it is no surprise that smarter, integrated and more connected journeys for passengers remains a shared ambition for many of the North’s transport authorities. Through the implementation of the Connected Mobility Strategy, we can make the case for clear, evidence-led funding to achieve shared outcomes which will help realise this ambition and improve passenger experiences across the North.”
