A smart ticketing offer

Context

The Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM), through its Mobility Information Management Center (CGIM), is participating in this initiative and is presenting a challenge to develop a data management pilot within the fare system framework. It is a challenge for public transport operators and managers to provide a system that is efficient and effective operationally, yet also accessible and affordable for users. The fare system is, therefore, a pillar that supports modal shift, environmental sustainability, and territorial balance.

In this context, the CGIM is leading the development of a mobility data project that integrates trip offerings with their respective costs, linked to the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data standard. This structured data set is used in more than 100 countries and by 10,000 transport agencies worldwide and, since Spring 2024, includes the necessary functionalities to publish and disseminate public transport fare system information.

The Challenge

The public transport fare system plays a key role in promoting public transport use. It involves a complex balancing act between usability, the overall cost of operation, and the goal of continuing to attract more users (with short-, medium-, and long-term growth in mind). It must also consider usage intensity (occasional or regular) and the users’ ability to afford the service (the cost should not exceed 10% of available income).

A proper fare system should be governed by principles of transparency and accessibility, including existing fare titles and user profile-based discounts. Furthermore, this information must be easily and effectively accessible to everyone, making standardized dissemination of this information critical—this is the core of the challenge.

The need arises to add a layer of fare information to the existing GTFS data (schedules, lines, and stops). This fare extension, known as FARES in version 2 of the specification, is a new addition and is the subject of this challenge: to develop proofs of concept applying it in real-world scenarios.

From a technical standpoint, this extension allows the introduction of two types of data: fare data and journeys. Regarding fare data, it allows the inclusion of titles, fares, and media linked to various user profiles in the system. For journeys, the specification allows linking fare information to stops and trips, including the costs of both trips and transfers. In both cases, the resulting data will help users identify cost options for their journeys, especially in cases involving proprietary titles outside the Integrated Fare System.

The Goal

The main goal of the challenge is to carry out a pilot project that ensures the provision of fare information to mobility planners using the standard GTFS Fares v2 format. Therefore, the technology provider must adapt the fare system’s data output to this standardized format so it can be integrated into any mobility technology platform, agnostically of the operational service.