Bus Open Data How we’re opening up data across the bus industry to drive a digital revolution

1. Bus Open DataHow we’re opening up data across the bus industry to drive a digital revolution Consultation Response and Alpha Options

2. Overview • What is open data • Bus open data • Our vision • Why are we doing this? • What’s the problem we’re trying to solve? • Current landscape • What are we doing? • Who benefits and how? • What happens next? • Get involved • 1. • 2. • 3. • 4. • 5. • 6. • 7. • 8. • 9. • 10.

3. Icebreaker What is Open Data?

4. What is open data? • 8 principles • Universally shared • Interpretations vary • Bus Open Data touches on all • https://opengovdata.org/

5. Bus Open Data

6. Background to Buses • 34,900 buses, 4.5bn journeys, half in London. • Over 60% of journeys are by the old, young and disabled. • National decline in use (patronage), including in London. • CMA highlighted in 2009 need to openly publish fares data. • Routes with real time offer saw 2% uplift in journeys (TfL) • BusTech innovation has global impact (e.g. Houston, Dublin)

7. Our Vision • The Bus Open Data Service will digitally transform bus services - high quality open data will help passengers plan journeys, find best value tickets and get real time service updates whatever part of England they are in. • open, accurate and up-to-date data (routes & timetable, fares data and location information). • all local bus services across England are in scope (and cross border services too for English leg). • creation of new Bus Open Data regulations enabled by the Bus Services Act (2017) • creation of new digital service to support open data publishing and consumption • creation of new data standards to address gaps (fares) and driving greater consistency for existing standards • creation of new digital tools and software to address gaps in the market provision and enable access for all.

8. Why are we doing this? This project supports the Secretary of State’s vision of making Britain the best place in the world to do transport digitally and will help to deliver the following government manifesto commitment: “We will publish far more information about public services online, including relevant information about local issues and public transport so that every person can find up to date information about…bus routes online, without the hassle and delay that currently exists”. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bus-revolution-to-put-power-in-passengers-hands

9. Why are we doing this? The Bus Services Act (2017) provided enabling powers (Section 18), allowing the Secretary of State (Transport) to legislate and require bus operators to open up data for local bus services across England on routes and timetables, fares and tickets and real time information from 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/bus-services-act-2017-bus-open-data

10. What problem are we solving? (short version)

11. And here’s the long version…. Data is not open, visible to other users or accurate. User journeys are difficult and fragmented. Passengers are often unable to plan journeys effectively or find best value tickets. Bus industry is fragmented and dispersed. Data provision, use,and analysis can sometimes feel impossible due to the number of operators and lack of regulation. Lack of consistency and standardisation. Variations in standards (route and timetable), real time information) and missing standards for some types of data (fares and tickets). • Bus sector is not keeping up with technology • Margins are slim, the industry is not future-proofed and new digital-focused competitors are filling the gaps. • BSR and EBSR hinder open data distribution • Current process dis-incentivises provision of up to date data. Redesign of registration system required before alignment. • Cumbersome distribution and publishing model • The current publishing model has a few layers in the data chain that do not add value, delay the publication and are prone to errors.

12. What’s the landscape currently? Currently across England there is a mixed picture in terms of the publishing of bus data as there is no legislation requiring bus operators to openly publish data for the purposes of journey planning. Route and Timetable Data: Route and timetable data is largely open now through voluntary agreements across the industry supported by Traveline and the delivery of the Traveline National Dataset (TNDS). The Bus Open Data regulations and digital service will build upon this work by striving to drive up the quality and consistency of published route and timetable data. Location Data: Whilst 97% of buses across England have an Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) device, AVL data outside London still needs to be published in a co-ordinated and consistent way. Currently it varies across local authorities and when it is produced, it is opened up through the Traveline Next Buses API. About 40 local transport authorities do this. The Bus Open Data regulations and digital service will strive to open up all AVL data across England and create a unified feed for application developers to innovate with. Fares Data: Fares data remains closed due to the lack of an agreed industry standard and whilst the data is created for electronic ticket machines, the lack of an agreed standard means it is not openly published and there is no national dataset. The Bus Open Data regulations and digital service will deliver both an industry standard (NeTEx) and require the open publication of fares and tickets data across England creating a national dataset, using that standard.

13. What are we doing?

14. 1. Creating new legislation • During Summer 2018, we consulted on the bus open data policy proposals. • During Spring 2019, we published the Governments official response to the consultation. • The Public Service Vehicle (Open Data) (England) Regulations 2019 are due to be laid in Parliament during Autumn 2019. • The regulations will legally require bus operators to publish data to set standards. • The route and timetable requirements commence in 2020 followed by fares and location data which will be required from 2021.

15. 2. Building a new digital service • The Bus Open Data Digital Service (BODDS) has just entered the private Beta phase. • BODDS is a new service, meeting user needs and developed to GDS Service Standard. • BODS directly serves bus operators supporting data publishing as either static file or through application programming interfaces (APIs). • Operators are legally required to publish their data on BODDS. • Also directly serves application developers (consumers) who can access static files or APIs • Passengers are indirect users who are serviced by application developers.

16. 3. Creating new data standards • Consistently the lack of an agreed data standard for fares and tickets data has bene cited as a barrier to publishing • EC funding being used to develop a UK NeTEx profile for bus fares and tickets • EC regard NeTEx as the multi modal interoperable data standard of the future • Micro-mobility modules in development • Profile due for completion Summer 2019 • Next steps are to implement the profile across England. • Also harmonising TXC into one BODDS profile

17. 4. Delivering new tools and training • Creation of TransXchange tool • Creation of fare data build tool (TfN) • Provision of centralised AVL tool • Provision of quality assurance service • Provision of data hosting services • Development of Implementation Guide

18. Who benefits and how ?

19. Who did we engage with?

20. Who are the users? Data Technologists Bus Technology Providers Transport Operators Bus industry software supplier Registration Manager, Large / medium operator Data Aggregator CEO, Less digitally literate operator Independent Developer Central Gov. & Regulators Primary Users Traffic Commissioner, OTC Local Transport Authorities Data Manager, Traveline National End Users End User, Passenger Data Manager, Traveline Regional Bus Data ‘one person team’, Local Transport Authority Bus Data Manager, Local Transport Authority

21. Bus open data benefits Single source of accurate, up to date data on local bus services. Fully compliant with legislation Passenger decisions informed and supported by data. Open data leading to product development, innovation and better communication. Reduced costs for bus operators and local transport authorities, improved administration, less duplication, no vendor lock-in. Meets user needs. Accessible, modern user interface. Ability to respond quickly to changing needs. Will meet currently un-met needs

22. Wider benefits of transport open data Open and shared data can deliver smarter, greener and more efficient journeys that have wider socio-economic benefits by 2025: Open Data creates a huge opportunity for the bus sector and the UK economy

23. What happens next?

24. Digital Project - Core Beta Roadmap Jan 2019 Feb Mar Dec Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Public Beta Private Beta Beta quality timetables Better Data Quality Improve NaPTAN Agree TxC profile ODF tool AVL indexing Fares + tickets

25. NaPTAN – Proposed Approach • Quick win: high confidence auto-generated corrections • Using ITO or Passenger data, we propose to identify NaPTAN corrections with very high confidence and only share those with Local Authorities, for sample checking and bulk correction with software suppliers. • We do not recommend hiring a team to do manual analysis of NaPTAN now because future algorithms using AVL on BODS may well correct more NaPTAN with higher certainty, so any exercise now should focus on high value quick wins. • There is a significant User Research and Stakeholder component to ensure that NaPTAN corrections are delivered in a usable format to Local Authorities. Our first priority is to confirm if this is feasible – we are currently uncertain. This will explore not only bulk uploads, but also whether: • LAs could use corrections in their manual processes • Current NaPTAN processes can be streamlined

26. Role of Local Authorities We realise many local transport authorities require clarity regarding their specific role. Activities DfT would encourage but have not mandated include: • Maintaining the business as usual TNDS process during the transitional period of 2020 • Supporting their local bus operators to understand and meet their responsibilities (SMEs) • For operators struggling with the digital service, potentially providing some initial assistance. • For operators without TransXchange capability supporting creating of TXC files (and NeTEx) • Statutory requirement to maintain and update NapTAN data • May choose to offer a managed real time information service to benefit citizens • Also potential to support operators to improve quality of data (data quality reports) • Registration role continues as per the PSV registration regulations.

27. Route map Past Spring 19 Bus Open Data public consultation response due to be published Autumn 19 Bus Open Data secondary legislation laid in Parliament. Future Law / policy Feb 17 Bus Services Act consultation started. Apr 17 Bus Services Act approved by Parliament. January 20 Initial open data requirements commenced for route and timetable information and 1 year transitional period begins. January 21 Requirements for basic fares data and real time information also now commenced. July 18 Start of formal public consultation on Bus Open Data policy proposals Spring 19 Bus Open Data digital service development - alpha phase complete. Aug 18 Appointment of digital supplier to deliver the Bus Open Data Digital Service alpha project. Summer 19 Bus Open Data digital service development moves into private Beta phase Summer 20 BODDS private Beta phase 2 – fares & tickets/location information enters public Beta 2018 2019 2020 Digital Mar 18 Agreement on Discovery recommendations and implementation by Bus Open Data Programme Board. Nov 17 Initiation of Bus Open Data Discovery Phase, led by Deloitte and the Open Data Institute. Winter 19 Bus Open Data digital service MVP goes into public beta (routes and timetables) January 20 BODDS private Beta phase 2 – fares & tickets/location information commences 19

28. Get involved ….. • Follow us at #busopendata to get the latest updates on the programme • Tweet about your organisations open data initiatives using #busopendata • Email us at busopendata@dft.gov.uk to trial the new service • Sign up for our newsletter by emailing busopendata@dft.gov.uk for detailed updates • Complete the readiness assessment (insert link) to tell us about your current systems