Towards a European framework for a multimodal transport information, management and payment system: stakeholder insights and lessons learned from the TRANSFORuM FP7 project

Following the 2011 Transport White Paper, the European Commission funded the TRANSFORuM FP7 project which engaged with stakeholder from all across Europe who have an interest in transport policies in order to discuss concrete policy measures to achieve the White Paper goals. One of the topics from the White Paper is the envisioned framework for European multimodal transport information, management and payment (MIMP). In January 2015, the TRANSFORuM project has delivered its final roadmap on this topic, proposing steps and policy measures towards a European MIMP framework. At the ETC 2015, the authors will present the key results and findings from this roadmap and the TRANSFORuM stakeholder involvement process. The current development in the MIMP policy area is best characterised by its heterogeneity with many initiatives being carried out in parallel. Before funding the TRANSFORuM project the European Union (EU) has for example adopted the “ITS Action Plan” [1], organised the “Smart Mobility Challenge” [2], funded work of the “All Ways Travelling” consortium on multimodal information and ticketing systems [3]. Recently, the EU has itself published its staff working document “Towards a roadmap for delivering EU-wide multimodal travel information, planning and ticketing services” [4]. Within this context, TRANSFORuM put a focus on engaging with stakeholders coming from very different backgrounds such as academia, operators, industry (platforms), SMEs, or administration. They were asked for their views and suggestions and the roadmap was put together from this material. The actor settings in the area are complex, and technological progress is fast. With a multitude of involved private interests, some of these diverge and raise potential for conflict. For example, there is currently a debate around privacy issues arising from far-reaching data collection in and around the transport system. Closely related to that, it is an open question whether the aspired framework should ultimately allow private actors to follow their private interests, or whether a system in the public interest is the goal. Regulation is often lagging behind the fast technological development. Considering the wider context of the White Paper (reducing the transport sector’s emission footprint), not much is known yet about the actual impact of MIMP schemes alone on modal choices and modal shares. However, there is a potential to contribute to modal shift goals by strategic use of MIMP services. In the real world, there are already a large number of local and regional systems in place – these have to be incorporated in any future larger system and the framework must be prepared to this. The multimodal integration as well works already in some regional examples, although often only with ‘island’ solutions. An even bigger challenge remains with cross-border exchange and collaboration, as well as with the integration of long- and short-distance transport. As an outcome of the TRANSFORuM project, the authors see a need to still view information, management and payment services as separate systems – which are already sometimes interlinked but still at very different levels of implementation. The envisioned framework must support a more systematic build-up of these linkages and interfaces in the future. As a main message from TRANSFORuM’s stakeholder consultation process, the challenge of providing a framework for future MIMP services is much more on the institutional side than on the technological side. A minimum level of services must be defined for the MIMP area. The roles of the public sector and private actors (system suppliers, system operators, etc.) as well as the suggested benefits for users need to be defined, based on a common vision how the European framework should look like and also in accordance with the overall guidance of the White Paper. As a central element it will need to be addressed how effective cooperation among operators, service providers, etc. can be achieved without giving up competitive advantages.