New journey planner app piloted in Bury

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A new smartphone app, which will provide Greater Manchester’s public transport passengers with ‘all the information they need to plan journeys in real time’, has been piloted in Bury.

Using the app, a virtual travel planning assistant service, passengers will be able to plan their journeys in advance and then monitor, or even re-plan, the journey as they travel, with real-time service updates sent directly to their smartphone.

Operating across multiple transport modes, the travel planning service will also be available online with passengers having access to all the transport information they need at the touch of a button on their PC or smartphone.

David Hytch, Information Systems Director at Transport for Greater Manchester, explained:

“Rather than providing journey data from the operator’s point of view, the service is aimed at giving passengers the information they need in an accessible way, empowering all passengers, including those who may not know the area or network well.

“Most people are at ease using a PC or a phone and, rather than having to download or print a timetable or brochure, passengers can use the online service to plan a journey across multiple transport modes.

“Importantly, the smartphone app means they can also continue to access information on their journey whilst travelling.

“The system works the journey out with all the links and, by choosing the monitor option, it alerts the passenger if they are on time or going to miss their connection, offering an option to re-plan if they need to.

“Sharing travel data with passengers in a way which is easy to use and relates directly to each individual journey is the next step to helping our passengers get the most out of their public transport network.

“It also reflects the rapid uptake of smartphones across current commuting generations.”

The virtual travel planning assistant service has been developed as part of a Technology Strategy Board match funded scheme by Logica and Vix Technology, supported by Transport for Greater Manchester.

As part of the project, the service was piloted in Bury at the end of April, with bus operator First Manchester fitting out 120 buses with the Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) equipment needed to provide the vital real-time bus information.

Tony Mallichan, Head of Consulting at Logica, commented: “Public transport passengers are at the heart of this innovation, which looks at how we can help provide the information passengers need, helping them to make smarter transport choices.

“The app will work across multiple transport modes and, as real time information becomes available, it will provide passengers with live service updates both before and during their journey as well as the ability to re-plan on the move.”

Following the successful pilot in Bury, development of the new journey planner service is on-going, with the first version of the app, providing passenger journey planning and monitoring, expected to be launched next year.

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