Accelerating Innovation In Public Transport

Transport for London is hoping to spark public transport change via data-crunching startups.

Between self-driving cars and reach-for-the-moon projects such as Elon Musk’s Space X and Hyperloop, there’s plenty of innovation in transport. But what about the public side? Who’s going to make buses run more regularly or solve the parking shortage?

Transport for London (TfL) has teamed up with accelerator Nitrous to, well, accelerate innovation in public transport. It’s supporting six startups in the hope that their ideas will make it easier for those of us without Musk’s money to get around.

George Johnston, founder of Nitrous, explained that the programme helps connect startups with local government and then refine their products, particularly via access to their data. “There’s no doubt that there is room for improvement – whether it’s planning new public transport routes or adapting existing resources to meet changing demands,” he said. “And it begins with a better understanding of our existing structures and user needs – looking at the data already being collected, identifying and filling gaps, and ultimately driving better data-based decision making. What’s really exciting is that the technology already exists to achieve this and in five years, it could truly shift what transportation systems look like.”

Alchera Technologies