7 minute read
7: URBAN MOBILITY TOOLS
7:
URBAN MOBILITY TOOLS
Sponsored by:
The data-driven bus operator
The public transport industry has made leaps and bounds in embracing new technologies. Today’s fleets are teeming with the very latest tech, and operators collect huge amounts of data on a daily basis.
There’s a great deal of potential uplift in punctuality, profitability and driver/passenger satisfaction that can be gleaned from this data, but making sense of it all is a daunting task.
If interrogated at all, the data is often interrogated on a fairly basic level by employees for whom ‘data analyst’ is neither their official job title or main priority. And even if transport operators manage to unlock 5% of the value of their data, by the time they’ve unlocked it, it’s out of date. This is where machine learning and artificial intelligence come in.
By implementing machine learning and AI, modern operators can take full advantage of the value of their data. They can create better, more efficient schedules; quickly adapt to disturbances such as traffic incidents and emergencies; and predict shortand long- term demand for their services.
CitySwift: The specialist data engine driving modern bus networks
At CitySwift, we have worked tirelessly to create a specialist data engine that can increase and enhance the performance and efficiency of public transport networks, while also boosting service reliability.
Its development has been driven by a team with more than 40 years’ in-depth experience of the bus industry, which gives us a unique understanding of the operational challenges bus operators face.
We’re passionate believers in what the bus industry can achieve when given the right tools to do the job, and by combining our experience with big data, machine learning and AI, we have created a suite of products that can digitalise bus networks and revolutionise service delivery for operators.
The CitySwift bus data engine seamlessly integrates with existing public transportation systems and technologies. This enables it to augment existing IT infrastructure investments, cleaning Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), scheduling and ticketing data and combining it with a vast array of big data sources in order to create highly relevant datasets that are tailored to each network and location.
Our cloud technology platform currently consists of three modules: SwiftMetrics, SwiftSchedule and SwiftConnect.
SwiftMetrics: Bus network analysis at scale
SwiftMetrics provides bus operators with a full understanding of their networks by placing performance closely under the microscope. It enables them to instantly visualise and automatically report detailed reliability, efficiency and demand metrics.
This provides an immediate picture of what’s happening across the network, empowering operators to react rapidly to sudden changes in demand or emerging mobility patterns.
SwiftMetrics can help ensure operations are as efficient as possible, while also significantly boosting performance.
“The future is going to be very challenging,” comments Andy Foster from National Express Bus. “SwiftMetrics will help us deliver the
best possible service because we can quickly analyse trends and probe demand, vehicle speeds and identify problem locations.”
SwiftSchedule: Rapid bus timetable optimisation
SwiftSchedule builds optimised timetables that intelligently balance vehicle supply with passenger demand. It instantly calculates runtimes, dwell and layover based on schedule requirements, operating conditions and passenger demand; significantly reducing network review timescales, while increasing confidence in the efficiency and reliability of schedule changes.
SwiftSchedule can accurately predict bus journey times. Want to know what effect the opening of a new school or leisure facility could have on your network? SwiftSchedule can provide the answers by allowing you to evaluate and compare multiple scenarios while also examining the likely impact on timetables and operational costs.
“SwiftSchedule enables us to complete analysis of running times in hours rather than days or weeks,” comments Andy.
SwiftConnect uses AI to predict capacity levels for every bus on any given date and time. This information is continually updated based on actual bus loads and provided to bus users in a dynamic colour-coded format – in other words a simple traffic light-style display.
We originally developed SwiftConnect to encourage on-board social distancing in response to Covid-19. However, the technology has some serious benefits for both operators and passengers alike in the post-pandemic world.
Its real strength is as a preplanning aid; bus users can view accurate ridership predictions for any bus, at any point on its journey, up to two weeks in advance. This helps them make informed decisions about when to travel, improving passenger comfort, safety and peace of mind.
There are significant benefits for operators too, because SwiftConnect helps to spread demand peaks and stimulates off-peak demand by encouraging travel on quieter buses.
“I think it could be the most powerful use of big data yet in terms of aiding local bus networks and customer service,” says The GoAhead Group’s Martijn Gilbert. “That’s a bold statement, but we are really excited about it.”
Powering a revolution for bus networks
This is just the beginning. Our team of bus data experts continues to work closely with transport operators around the world to enhance our existing technology suite and develop new ideas – our rapid development and deployment of SwiftConnect during the first Covid-19 lockdown is a case in point.
The post-Covid world will bring new opportunities to unlock the potential of public transport, especially as towns and cities across the world look to move to a more sustainable way in which they approach mobility.
We believe data-driven operators will be best placed to take advantage of this transition. n
By Brian O'Rourke, co-founder and CEO, City Swift
At CitySwift, buses are in our blood. Our team has more than 40 yearsʼ experience across the bus industry and a unique understanding of the operational challenges that bus operators face.
Weʼre passionate believers in what the bus industry can achieve when given the right tools to do the job. By combining our deep public transportation domain knowledge with big data and AI, we have created a specialist data engine that can increase and enhance the performance and efficiency of public transport networks, while also boosting service reliability.
The CitySwift platform augments and seamlessly integrates with existing transport technology systems, providing a deeper understanding of network performance and enhanced network planning with significantly reduced timescales.
CitySwift is institutionally backed. Our investors include Ryanair co-founder Declan Ryanʼs Irelandia Investments, ACT Venture Capital and former CarTrawler Chief Executive Mike McGearty.
Contact Philip Lavin philip@cityswift.com www.cityswift.com Software: SwiftConnect
SwiftConnect offers accurate bus capacity predictions. It improves comfort and safety for bus users and spreads demand peaks using an AI-powered vehicle capacity prediction tool, aiding social distancing by helping passengers choose to travel on quieter buses.
SwiftConnect seamlessly integrates with existing transport technology systems and uses AI to predict capacity levels for every bus, at every stop, for any specific date and time. Information is continually updated based on actual bus loads, and shared with passengers in an easy-tounderstand ʻtraffic lightʼ format.
Contact philip@cityswift.com + 353 (0)91 393 255 www.cityswift.com/platform#swift-connect
Software: SwiftSchedule
Optimise your bus timetables with SwiftSchedule, an AI-powered schedule planning technology that intelligently balances vehicle supply with passenger demand.
SwiftSchedule seamlessly integrates with existing scheduling systems to instantly calculate runtimes, dwell and layover based on schedule requirements and operating conditions, significantly reducing network review timescales, while increasing confidence in the efficiency and reliability of schedule changes.
Contact philip@cityswift.com + 353 (0)91 393 255 www.cityswift.com/platform#swift-schedule
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