Transport for the North (TfN) has launched its Connected Mobility Strategy for the North, aimed at supporting simple and seamless journeys for the region.
The strategy focuses on three key themes: the future of ticketing, data and infrastructure, and future mobility.
Connected mobility is the ability for different modes of transport to communicate seamlessly with each other to improve the reliability and affordability of passenger journeys. This can be achieved through integrated payment methods, ticketing, and journey planning.
The Connected Mobility Strategy will enable TfN and its partners to collaborate on improving passenger experience across the North. It aims to reduce duplication of processes, streamline payments, and enable integration of ticketing across different modes of transportation.
Some of the immediate priorities of the strategy include supporting the delivery of multi-modal ticketing schemes and making a case for more and better-structured regional funding to deliver innovative solutions that improve the passenger experience. The strategy also highlights the importance of investment in the required digital infrastructure critical to enabling those solutions to be accessible to passengers.
Martin Tugwell, chief executive at Transport for the North, said: “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.”
Benefits of connected mobility
Connected mobility has a number of benefits for passengers, including:
- Simpler and more seamless journeys: Passengers will be able to plan, book, and pay for their journeys across different modes of transport using a single interface.
- More reliable and affordable journeys: Connected mobility can help to improve the reliability and affordability of journeys by providing passengers with real-time information on traffic conditions and service disruptions.
- Reduced congestion and emissions: Connected mobility can help to reduce congestion and emissions by encouraging people to use more sustainable modes of transport, such as public transport, cycling, and walking.
Matt Smallwood, connected mobility manager at Transport for the North, said: “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.”
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