Transport for the North to enhance public transport with new mobility hub

Transport for the North (TfN) has announced that better ticketing and fare offers for passengers could be a little nearer following the launch of its new support service for the North’s non-mayoral local authorities.

TfN’s ‘Connected Mobility Hub’ will provide local transport authorities (LTAs) with specialist support so that they can develop and deliver new ticketing initiatives for passengers.

Matt Smallwood, Head of Digital Strategy for Transport for the North, said: “Smarter and more connected journeys for passengers is a shared ambition for many of the North’s transport authorities who want to offer a slicker, fairer and more joined-up ticketing service. What we are offering is shared expertise which removes the need for re-inventing the wheel.”

Providing support for at least five key projects over the next 12 months, Transport for the North has secured a year’s funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) to help launch the Connected Mobility Hub service.

“The pilot will provide support for at least five projects which I hope will span more than five local authorities,” said Smallwood. “At least one project will be to support the development of new multi-operator ticketing arrangements and another will be around making smarter use of open data around bus services.”

New bus partnership and multi-operator contactless ticketing scheme launched in Leicester, UK

The Connected Mobility Hub will also offer ‘clear and authoritative’ guidance to help the North’s LTAs upskill their local resources and encourage a more standardised approach to technological deployments.

The guidance offered by Transport for the North will:

• Support the development and delivery of multi-operator ticketing
• Support fares simplification and reform
• Help areas prepare for contactless capping
• Core theme connected mobility.

Throughout June and into July 2022, the transport body will be inviting partners to put in their requests for support. TfN will then prioritise these requests by where it can add the best value and work from there.

The new initiative is a significant step towards a public transport network in the North that can offer capped contactless fares, multimodal transport, tickets and real-time information systems that make travel across the North as seamless as it is in places like London.