At last week’s Mobility 2024 conference held in Melbourne, the discussion quickly moved to how to achieve longevity in public transport procurement outcomes.
Whether it be open integration models for ticketing solutions using technology evolutions to achieve customer needs, NEC Australia senior product manager Kylie Gorham evaluated how operators and government procurement bodies can get the most out of their latest contracts and assets.
“Public transport authorities, or PTAs, are naturally concerned when procuring new transit technologies that the solution they implement reflects not only their needs today, but what it can expand to accommodate in the future,” Gorham told the crowd.
“This includes increased ridership, with new features needing to deliver value to operators and riders alike when new technology becomes available.
“It’s a serious responsibility to manage public funding well and often agencies can’t see what is yet to come down the road and allow for it.”
Key considerations when it comes to extending the lifespan of procured assets includes choosing solutions that use open integration models.
Gorham said that ticketing solution requirements have consistently included an expectation for open APIs and recognised the need for the system to integrate with third-party systems and data sources.
Now, agencies are procuring ticketing systems in a model where the solution itself can flexibly integrate with itself, allowing agencies to reduce their reliance on one supplier.
“PTAs should also choose ticketing solutions that integrate with other parts of the transit operation, for example services like Hailo and See me,” Gorham said.
“These apps being trialled in several Australian cities can generate confidence for all users, so enabling the fleet operations side of the solution to work seamlessly with the rider services will create opportunities for increased ridership, which is a goal of the technology investment.”
Gorham also discussed how customers should choose a contracting model that enables new services, features and technology to be subscribed to as they become available to reduce the pressure on the original procurement to account for all future features.
In terms of meeting diverse customer needs, Gorham said the ongoing penetration of smart phone ownership has enhanced the transit experience for most riders. She encouraged the industry to dip into this trend.
“The availability of real-time information creates opportunities for people to choose public transportation on the spur of the moment, especially when services are frequent and reliable,” Gorham said.
“For some people, that real-time information literally in the hand removes an element of anxiety they may have felt in the past – we’ve become conditioned to the Uber-effect of seeing our Uber vehicle progress to where we are waiting – and these apps give us that same confidence for public transportation use.
“Additionally, incorporating payments with mobile phones reflects people’s use of their digital wallets for other transactions, and a large part of the growth in open payments in Sydney can be attributed to the use of digital wallets with mobile phones.”
She did issue a reminder to attendees that mobile phone ownership shouldn’t infer that all people with the technology are comfortable using apps and receiving notifications, citing seniors and people with language barriers may find this intrusive and difficult to use.
“Transit agencies need to ensure all riders are enabled to choose public transportation first, and where technology offerings are increasingly mobile phone-centric, the availability of alternative information paths and payment methods must be implemented alongside phone options,” Gorham said.
“Smartcards are unlikely to be replaced fully with phone options for payment. Interactive voice recognition services and SMS messaging can be effective alternatives for delivery of information services.
“Solar-powered, e-ink style signage at bus stops are also a lower cost solution to provide at-stop information services. These signs can be integrated with text-to-speech buttons for people with vision impairment and incorporate CCTV for not only safety and security but also to collect operational information such as passenger counts.”