SEStran-23/24-Integrated Mobility Platform

Description

The main aims of IMPS are: · Make it easier for every resident & visitor to the SEStran and Tactran regions to make the most of the Transport ecosystem. · To secure a model for long term financial sustainability by 30 September 2024. · Support Scotland Objectives (MIF objectives but also wider national objectives) · Make it easier for new transport modes to connect in to the transport ecosystem. The next phase of the MaaS platform will be made available to potential other public sector partners to allow them to commission further integrations/improvements to the existing apps powered by the platform or develop new ‘grey label’ apps from the same platform – the Integrated Mobility Platform Scotland concept. The existing SEStran and Tactran pilots provided journey planning tools that enabled the planning, booking and paying for a variety of transport services. These tools were ‘powered’ by a shared MaaS platform initially provided by Fuse Mobility, which novated its contract to Ember Technology on 19 February 2024, SEStran and Tactran have secured additional funding to extend the present contract for a short 6 month extension to 30 September 2024 at which point Transport Scotland should be in a position to make any decisions on the direction of a national MaaS platform, and whether this could be publicly funded. Ending the pilot projects before a way forward has been determined for the long term could: § Seriously limit the opportunities to take forward the MaaS aspirations. If current MaaS projects stop, there will be a loss of confidence by the public, operators, and partner public sector services. Conversely, there could also be a lost opportunity to digitally promote new transport initiatives (such as DRT, Mobility Hubs, bike hire schemes and Community Transport etc) via MaaS platforms; § Represent a significant loss of investment by all partners in getting this new and exciting technology established; and § Whilst MaaS is a growth sector, there are limited MaaS suppliers in Scotland. The lack of a continuous plan for establishing and expanding MaaS will seriously affect the confidence of suppliers to invest in the programme in Scotland. It will also present a reputational risk to those public sector partners involved. IMPS aims to share the learnings from the Transport Scotland MIF projects, help public sector organisations understand how MaaS could help them to achieve their sustainable objectives, and to help MaaS services grow, learn and develop. We will do this by having open access to an IMPS website, offer advice on design and implementation of a MaaS app, offer the use of the existing apps, and also offer a new ‘grey label’ app via a financial contribution from the third party. Tactran and Sestran propose to maintain the platform and existing interfaces and continue to make this available to the public until a time when Transport Scotland are able to consider and confirm funding for a new MaaS platform project with the intention that the contract for that project will be fully advertised in a public procurement procedure.