Transport for Wales (TfW) has announced it will use an AI-powered software platform to help improve Wales’ bus network and make services more efficient and sustainable.
AI-powered operations platform, Optibus will digitalise Wales’ bus network and replace traditional manual methods with artificial intelligence, optimisation algorithms, cloud computing and rapid scenario generation.
TfW say the ability to analyse demographic data alongside the route network will enable them to enhance service quality and make services more accessible, especially in areas that are reliant on public transport.
The AI operations platform will help deliver the One Network, One Timetable, One Ticket: Planning Buses as a Public Service for Wales white paper, which outlines the Welsh Government’s vision to transform bus service delivery across Wales and establish a bus system that maximises sustainability and social impact.
TfW will work closely with all 22 local authorities and bus operators to design its public transport network to better serve Wales’ residents and more than 52 million passengers who travel on buses in Wales each year.
The decision marks a milestone in TfW’s goal to increase the number of journeys made by active travel or public transport to 45% by 2040, as set out in the 2021 Wales Transport Strategy.
Lee Robinson, Development of Mid, North and Rural Wales Director at TfW said: “Working closely with our partners in local authorities and bus operators, Optibus will play a key role in helping us build a reliable, efficient, and sustainable bus network that serves passengers across Wales.
“The software’s ability to digitise the network and timetables quickly and test scenarios that result in the most effective operational decisions has been a revelation. We will be able to accurately model the delivery of the entire network in a single tool.”
Optibus CEO and co-founder Amos Haggiag said: “It is an honour to be chosen as the planning and scheduling software for Transport for Wales, and to take part in this historical chapter for advancing public transportation in Wales.”
Optibus provides scheduling software for private sector transport operators across the UK, optimising the movement of over 70% of the buses across the country.
