Digital Mobility

Passengers' new mobility expectations are influenced by their preferences, concern for the environment, and quality of life. These factors lead to an increasing demand for integrated and interconnected mobility services. Information and communication technology have enabled a new perception of travel.

Whatever the distance, to reach their destination, passengers often have to use several modes of transportation managed by diff erent transit authorities and operated by several transportation companies. Whether to identify an itinerary, choose and combine the modes of transportation, or book and pay for a ticket, mobility centers provide users with the possibility of organizing a seamless journey.

In Tilburg and Sittard, Netherlands, the center coordinates shared taxi bookings; in the United States and in Europe, centers manage a fl eet of more than 2,000 paratransit vehicles; in Nice, France, a center gives information on the bus systems across the 24 municipalities that make up the Nice Cote d'Azur agglomeration and the Alpes Maritimes department; and in Germany, a center provides real-time information for passengers using the seven rail systems operated by Veolia Verkehr.

Until recently, multimodal information systems have been relegated to the level of ancillary services and infrastructure choices, despite accounting for only a very minor share of the investment budget. But they are now viewed as a strategic area for development by Veolia Transport. iPhone, Smartphones and NFC technology have drawn passengers into the realm of "heightened reality," enabling them, for example, to superimpose in real time a virtual 3D or 2D model on the normal view and plan their journey.

Veolia Transport is helping passengers by developing integrated digital solutions, starting with ticketing and direct information, such as the dissemination of data about passengers' journeys or fare alternatives.

The next step will involve the development of onboard services, such as the portal opened by Veolia Transport in October 2009 on the A14 Express route in Paris. Users can connect up using a computer with a WiFi card or a Smartphone and access a range of services: schedule information, fares and traffi c conditions, geolocation, fi lm viewing, and accessing video games or the "city tips" on the Cityvox portal.

Some passengers will no longer need cash or tickets to travel. In spring 2010, Veolia Transport will introduce its BPass solution on the Nice, France, system for passengers who have a Near Field Communication mobile phone. These phones have an NFC radio chip.

When the phone is used to buy a ticket, the chip is automatically updated and the ticket stored in digital format. The phone need only be swiped a few centimeters from a control terminal to be validated. Taking things a step further, Veolia Transport is now preparing the BPass+.

Connected via mobile Internet to immediate and personalized databases, BPass+ can be used anytime to check schedules, receive alerts in the event of traffi c delays, geolocate yourself on a map by reading interactive labels on urban furniture, and view practical, cultural and leisure content. It should also act as a means of payment (retail, car parks, etc.).

This array of services has been designed in partnership with six companies (Amesys, Airtag, Connecthings, Monetech, Novabase and Trusted Labs) under the "Nice: contact-free mobile city" program spearheaded by the City of Nice and the Nice Côte d'Azur joint district authority.