SPT News
SPT demonstrates why it's at the forefront in providing door-to-door travel solutions.
Sharing lessons with European partners
June 21, 2010 14:30 UKNewsDelegates from organisations participating in the EU-sponsored Improving Connectivity and Mobility Access (ICMA) project gathered at SPT's Consort House last Monday and Tuesday in the latest of a series of partner meetings.
The overall aim of the project is to design attractive and realistic alternatives to car use to 'unlock a mobilife' in Northwest Europe. To provide real alternatives to car use for the 'first and last miles' of journeys, the project focuses on a number of themes including:
- improving the scheduling and delivery of door-to-door transport;
- improving the quality of public transport information, booking and connections; and
- providing travel training to those unaccustomed to using public transport.
ICMA recognises that, to compete seriously with private car use, public transport connections must be made attractive in terms of their price, their ease of use and their demand-responsiveness.
In a series of presentations and workshops last week, delegates from Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK reviewed project progress so far and discussed plans for the implementation of a trans-national 'competence hub' to draw together ideas and examples of best practice.
SPT's workstreams in the project include the use of scheduling software to optimise the delivery of demand-responsive transport and work on the price modelling of journeys. It is possible that a further dimension may be added with the development of web-based booking of journeys.
The two-day meeting included a visit to the DRT contact centre, hosted by managers Linda Gold and John Knox, and the delegates were impressed not only by the systems and staff but also by the large geographical area covered by SPT.
Bus Contracts Manager Alex Scott explained: "We've been partners in ICMA for some time now and we were delighted to have our colleagues from Europe here in Glasgow to let them see the work we're doing.
"We brought them up to date with recent developments in our DRT services and gave them a preview of a newly re-branded MyBus at Buchanan Bus Station.
"The investment in vehicles and IT systems shows SPT is at the forefront of providing door-to-door travel solutions and we strongly support ICMA in its work."
ICMA is funded by the European Regional Development Fund with a grant of more than £3 million. The 3-year project is led by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE).
