Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has teamed up with CitySwift to launch a new Ai-powered data management platform to make the city’s bus network more efficient.
According to TfGM, the deployment will make it the first franchised transport authority in the UK to use AI to deliver more reliable, frequent and quicker bus journeys, building on the Greater Manchester Bus Strategy announced last year, says Cities Today.
“Customers are at the heart of the Bee Network and by working with CitySwift we will be able to see more clearly than ever how services are performing,” said Catherine Towey, Senior Lead for bus franchising at TfGM. “We can then use this information to prioritise improvements and deliver a better service for passengers.”
According to CitySwift, data is ingested from the operator’s vehicle GPS location hardware, scheduling systems, and ticket machine data. The platform then “cleans, analyses, and enriches” the data, delivering results via the CitySwift platform in the form of insights, recommendations for service adjustments and predictions for the impact of any changes.
“The goals and vision set out in the Great Manchester Bus Strategy speak clearly to our mission at CitySwift – grow patronage with frequent and more reliable buses,” said Brian O’Rourke, CEO and Co-founder of CitySwift.
“I am thrilled that we’re partnering with TfGM, supporting them in achieving this goal through our transport data-solutions, as we continue to build the smart cities of the future.”
The authority says the contract with CitySwift is worth “up to £350,000”.
