Personalised Transport Messaging and Key Worker Analytics to Help Bus, Tram and Metro operators during the Covid 19 Outbreak

We propose to develop a toolkit to support bus, tram and metro operators as they react to a rapidly changing transport landscape and need to provide support to key workers - both during the current disruption and then supporting the recovery. Our patent-pending (application number 17185399.7, dated 08/08/2017) demand analytics and our Passenger Connect messaging platform -- currently deployed for the rail sector in the UK - will enable real-time journey updates in order to keep travellers informed of any disruption (including potential crowding or difficulties maintaining social distancing on transport services) and provide the best routes based on personal preferences and real-time performance. Offering a mechanism to identify key-workers and understand intention to travel for all users, this will be backed up by a custom analytics product to help prioritise services, understand demand (in real time and on a week-by-week basis) and plan infrastructure accordingly. By supporting both key workers and transport operators in the region, key routes can be supported during the crisis, and economic cases can be made for the recovery of less-essential, or lower-demand services.

With the second wave of COVID-19 in the UK, capturing and providing transport to the travelling public is increasingly important once more. We intend to implement the roll-out of our Connect data throughout Oxfordshire at bus stop displays and to provide QR codes across the region to enable easier onboarding to our travel update messages. We will also explore how we can provide real-time bus information to passengers planning multi-model journeys (i.e. first/last mile messages for travellers using the train as their main mode).