‘SatNav for public transport’: 2020 Vision

Duncan Ellis, Senior Public, Transport Planner, Colin Buchanan

Duncan Ellis, Senior Public, Transport Planner, Colin Buchanan

By 2020 whatever our mobile phones have morphed into will become our gateway to public transport use. Applications will have developed so that public transport users are able to use mobile devices in a similar way to satellite navigation systems. Users will be able to enter a destination, the device knowing exactly where you are, and the application will be able to tell you the quickest or cheapest or most scenic route taking into account real-time information. Your device will also include an integrated smartcard.

The result will be public transport which is much more attractive to the occasional user and patronage will increase especially in urban areas. This of course needs massive co-ordination between operators but the benefits should incentivise them to do so.

Find out more at the New Transit Exhibition and Conference:
Travel 2020:  the future of passenger travel and its technologies