Data integration -challenges to MaaSgrowthClare Lintonclare.linton@urbantransportgroup.org

The importance of data

• Large volumes of digital data describing individuals and the transport system exist

• And greater volumes are being generated every day

The ability to bring this information together is critical to the growth of MaaS

Huge opportunity but some challenges along the way… that’s what I will focus on today

e.g.: Google Maps data comes from multiple sources

From Android app GPS tracker (real time)

From First Bus (via traveline and ITO World)

From National Rail Enquiries From Highways England

Four Three key challenges

1. Data ownership and privacy

2. Data sharing and integration

3. Data quality and standards

4. Skills, capacities and capabilities

1. Data ownership and privacy Challenges

• Transport data is produced and held by wide variety of stakeholders:

• Transport authorities• Operators• App developers• Retailers• Digital/telecom companies • Satnav providers• Etc…

• Determining ownership has become more complicated• Does it belong to service users or providers?• Should information be allowed to be exploited by those who generate it?• Or should it be treated as a public good?

• Growing privacy concerns

1. Data ownership and privacySolutions

• Legislation• Clarify data ownership; set data protection requirements; bring data

into public domain where relevant• E.g. Data Protection Act 1998• E.g. EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)• E.g. Bus Services Bill 2017

• Collaboration• Public sector: employ soft power to induce positive ind. behaviours • Private sector: show leadership in anticipating and addressing privacy

concerns

• Technology• Data Portability platforms (e.g.: Mydex)

Data Portability – what is it?

Individuals agree for all/part of their digital footprint to be stored in a common platform

Data becomes ‘portable’

2. Data sharing and integrationChallenges

• Individual data sources are worth little on their own: whole is greater than the sum of its parts

But current mind-set can be inward-looking and zero-sum:• Private sector:

• Maximise own competitive advantage, forget about the size of the pie

• Public sector• Hesitant to give away something of value for free• Uncertainty over wider benefits of more open approach• Need to find long term funding model

‘Whole is greater than sum of the parts’

Data integration is where real added value of MaaS lies

2. Data sharing and integrationSolutions

• Legislation• Introduce obligations on public and private organisations to open up

own data where in public interest• Review rules around commercial confidentiality

• Collaboration• Articulate public and private sector benefits of a more open approach• Use own data as bargaining chip • Develop new funding models (especially for public sector data)• Identify org’s (public + private) well placed to become data

brokers/integrators

• Technology• Integrated data platforms, APIs• Secure data stores• Data portability platforms (e.g.: mydex)

3. Data quality and standards Challenges

• Producing ‘data’ is not enough it needs to be reliable andcomprehensive. But…:

• Who is responsible for quality assurance?• What is the ‘right’ level of quality, anyway?• How should errors or inconsistencies be dealt with?

• Developing data-based services prohibitively expensive if every city and transport operator adopts inconsistent data standards and software architecture

• Who should set standards?• How can these be agreed?

2. Data quality and standardsSolutions

• Legislation• Government to set data quality standards – but is this feasible?• Assign responsibilities over data quality to specific bodies (e.g.:

transport authorities have duty to provide impartial public transport information according to Transport Act 2000)

• Create Ombudsman

• Collaboration• Follow the leader! (Google’s GTFS, TfL’s Unified API, Highways

England, ATOC…?)• Industry working groups (e.g.: RTIG, ITS UK)• Jointly funded umbrella bodies (e.g.: Traveline, ITSO, UITP, Catapults)• Identify orgs well placed to become data brokers/integrators

• Technology• Lots of established standards already available: GTFS, SIRI, TXC

TfL Unified API

• https://api.tfl.gov.uk/

Conclusions

• As the Urban Transport Group, we are working to:• Develop a ‘smart futures’ work stream, with a high level strategic group

to take this forward• Set up an officer led open data group within our professional network• Continue to work on our online, interactive data platform ‘Insights’, to

bring together national and members data.

• These activities will help to support data integration and MaaSgrowth