Technical Whitepaper – ITxPT

Executive Summary

Local and regional authorities routinely contract out services to transport operators with a diverse range of vehicles and system suppliers. To ensure a consistently high level of service delivery for passengers, and to facilitate flexibility in terms of upgrades without incurring additional cost, it is vital that all the different systems work together.

Open standards are a central tool for ensuring that such systems are able to easily interface with one another. The use of standards improves ease of testing, reduces development and overall costs, and provides a simpler path for system migration.

Information Technology for Public Transport (ITxPT) supports the implementation of standards and procedures for integrated ‘plug-and-play’ IT systems for public transport and the relevant back-office functions. By developing, maintaining and advancing these standards and practices, ITxPT supports integrated and standardised mobility services for the public, sustainable mobility for all, and full interoperability between different IT systems and solutions.

ITxPT promotes improved cost efficiency of IT systems and their deployment, while ensuring openness and continuous competition in the public transport IT market.

While ITxPT is now becoming widely adopted, it continues to evolve with new versions and also upcoming specifications such as electric vehicles, demand responsive transport and more.

In this paper we outline where ITxPT came from and where it is now, and how authorities and operators can start to use it; and explain how Trapeze is collaborating with this group to pave the way for innovation and flexibility in public transport at a level not previously possible.