SI Urban 1/2021, Tourism, Urban
Data are the new oil
Whereas, only a few decades ago, the economy could not get enough of crude oil and the progress of a society was heavily dependent on this resource, progress nowadays is driven by data. Getting ahead is now about having not the biggest source of oil but rather the greatest number of and the most comprehensive datasets.
This information is used to secure votes in politics, and discount points collected at the supermarket checkout are becoming a range adviser for the company. To date in the transport sector, little importance has been attributed to personalised data. Yet, even here, the valuable data are now used increasingly frequently.
Printed trust
A transport system needs to be quick, easy and accessible for all. If these requirements are met, then the provision is regarded as user-friendly. One normal aspect of using local public transport no longer entirely meets these needs but many people are unwilling to give it up: the printed ticket.
There are far more efficient ways to buy a ticket but many people, especially in western countries, still rely on the tried and tested, printed ticket – even though online solutions are available and, in many cases, quicker. The ticket is familiar and, more importantly, trusted. This trust comes not only from passengers but also from operators.
However, this is now changing, as the increasing importance of data means that their protection is also improving. There have already been many previous concepts for the modernisation of tickets. QR codes or barcodes were one example of a trial in this area.
The problem with these was that such codes were not protected from copying, so additional ID information had to be requested and passengers had to show their ID card as well as their ticket. Since then, more secure, highly encrypted ticketing systems have become the standard, although experts are sure: there is still a lot more that can be done here, if the data are used correctly.
Outlook
Professionals can envisage combining the payment system with travel information, for example. The aim is therefore to learn from customer behaviour and to personalise the travel experience. An example: The tram is overcrowded and the sun is shining, so a passenger receives information on the option to alight here and walk through the park; there is another stop at the other end.
From the data collected, the application knows that this passenger has taken and appreciated walks like this in the past. The passenger in the next seat is identified, from the data, as less keen on walking and is therefore not even alerted by the mobility app.
This or a similar approach is how experts imagine the personalised mobility concept of the future. Nonetheless, before such ideas can be put into practice, consistent standards must be introduced and far more data must be collected. tm
SMART TICKETING IN RIO DE JANEIRO
86 percent of passengers on Rio de Janeiro’s public transport system own a mobile phone and are willing to use this system to buy a ticket. Work is therefore currently underway to extend the contactless payment project. A new ticket purchasing system was launched in Rio in 2018.
The aim was to take a gradual step towards modern ticketing and at the same time to improve the customer experience of the transport system. The plan was to introduce a contactless ticket. When development of the project began, contactless payment was still in its infancy.
The system of the new contactless card was well received by customers. The principle is as follows: rather than buying a single ticket for each journey or investing in a day ticket that is actually not really needed, you pay only for the journeys that you actually make.
