Tactran ENABLE Platfroms

By project PriMaaS

Published on 25 July 2022

United Kingdom

Eastern Scotland

About this good practice

Tactran is a Regional Transport Partnership covering Tayside & Central Scotland.
Accessing essential services such as education & healthcare is a problem for those without a car. This can be addressed by increasing the transport services available, but the ability to do this is limited by finances. ENABLE aims to address the problem by maximising the awareness and ease of existing transport services, allowing users to plan, book & pay for journeys.
The ENABLE project has:
- Developed a MaaS platform which includes real time journey data, booking/ticketing and the payment systems of transport operators
- Co-tailored & piloted three websites / apps powered by the MaaS infrastructure platform with three ‘service lead’ organisations:
1. NHS Tayside – pilot focused on the centre for urology at Perth Royal Infirmary. Now widened to include all of NHS Tayside.
2. Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority – “Days Out” app to encourage visitors to plan trip with more sustainable modes of transport. Users compare the carbon impacts of different modes of travel as well as see DRT options.
3. Dundee and Angus College –developed to help students and staff travel around Dundee and Angus Campuses, giving them the best travel information on their smartphones.
The intention is that ENABLE can be commercially viable, providing long-term solutions for the planning, booking and paying for transport to improve access for residents & visitors.

Resources needed

Funding from Transport Scotland MaaS Investment Fund, Smarter Choices, Smarter Places & project partners. This covers MaaS platform & back office, marketing, monitoring & evaluation, engagement & accessibility audit. Staff time at Tactran was allocated to project management and financial planning.

Evidence of success

Project expansion - Following the successful launch & delivery of the tool at Perth Royal Infirmary, NHS Tayside agreed to roll out the solution, promoted via appointment letters.
Accessibility audit of the tool – focusing on users with mobility difficulties and other impairments which may influence travel behaviour. The audit confirmed the tools are simple & easy to use, and useful for enabling a virtual journey ‘run-through’. Improvements were identified, see potential for learning/transfer.

Potential for learning or transfer

Inclusive co-design process - ensuring ENABLE has a positive impact on those who currently struggle to access key services. Collaboration with the service organisations helped ensure the needs of the client groups’ are considered. This improved promotion and marketing strategies.
Designing for inclusivity – recognising & addressing requirements and reducing customer stress. Many trips don’t end at the front door, on campuses or hospitals. A vital component is routing to the right building, including the accessibility of entrances, exits & locations of required facilities. For users with additional needs it is particularly important to accommodate this information to provide accurate trip times and to help minimise anxiety. Also need to design for users’ specific requirements for downloading and printing trip details.
Planning for future services - pilots will be used to gather feedback and data on the demand for transport services, to inform longer term planning on sustainable travel.