Contract awarded for new TfWM travel app

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has appointed FOD Mobility Group to help design, develop and deliver a region-wide travel app giving everybody access to all transport modes in one place offering “a new approach to travelling around the West Midlands”.

Based on FOD Mobility Group‘s Mobilleo MaaS platform, the app will allow users to plan journeys, receive live travel information, book and pay for all local transport options – including buses, trains, trams, e-Scooters, walking, cycle hire, taxis, Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), car rental, car club and parking.

Heralded as a major step towards TfWM’s ambition of “one app, one account, everywhere they could want to go, accessible at their fingertips”. TfWM believes the app will “revolutionise public and shared transport in the region by making it easier and quicker for people to get information, choose more sustainable travel and find the best value fares.” It will replace the existing TfWM app.

Alongside FOD Mobility Group, TfWM is working on the project with a range of partners including consultants Arcadis – providing behaviour change advice, Brompton Bike Hire and Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Car Club. Other project partners include ITO World – who provide real time public transport data across the West Midlands, Euclid and Unicard – responsible for integration with the existing Swift smart travel scheme. Local authority and transport operator partners will also collaborate on the app development.

The development has been funded from the Department for Transport’s Future Transport Zone programme.

It is designed to deliver on aims set out in the Local Transport Plan by building trust through an enhanced user experience, integrating ticketing and information and helping to decarbonise our transport networks.

Anne Shaw, executive director of Transport for West Midlands: “TfWM is putting unprecedented investment into growing our Metro, rail, bus and active travel networks.

“As well as developing travel modes, we need to look closely at how we can make accessing transport as seamless as possible through simple plan, book and pay mechanisms. This will encourage more people to use public and shared transport, or active travel and reduce private car use.

“With this new mobility as a service platform we are looking to do just that. We are working with some of the best British tech and mobility companies to design an app which is easy to use, convenient and offers great value.”

FOD Mobility Group’s CEO, Justin Whitston, added, “We are truly delighted to be working with TfWM on what will be an exciting and scalable mobility as a service project, powered by our Mobilleo platform. We look forward to working long-term to deliver a new approach to travelling around the West Midlands.”