mAKING TRAVEL SIMPLE apps
Wide variations in journey planners quality of apps four stars Moovit For the first time, we have researched which apps are currently Combined rating: 4.5 (785k ratings) Operator: Moovit available to public transport users and how highly they are rated Developer: Moovit App Global LTD
Why can’t using public which have been consistent table-toppers in Citymapper transport be as easy as Transport Focus’s National Rail Passenger Combined rating: 4.5 (78.6k ratings) ordering pizza? Speaking Survey, have not transferred their passion for Operator: Citymapper at an event in Glasgow customer service to their respective apps. Developer: Citymapper Limited earlier this year (PT208), First UK Bus was also among the 18 four-star Robert Jack Louise Coward, the acting rated bus operator apps, ahead of rivals Arriva Trainline Managing Editor head of insight at passenger (which has different apps for information and Combined rating: 4.5 (69.4k ratings) watchdog Transport Focus, revealed research m-tickets) and Stagecoach. The 11 highest Operator: Trainline which showed that young people want an rated bus operator apps were all developed Developer: Trainline experience that is as easy to navigate as the one by Bournemouth-based Passenger, with provided by other retailers. Blackpool Transport, Warrington’s Own Buses, three stars She explained: “Young people challenged Borders Buses and Nottingham City Transport us with things like, ‘if I want to order a pizza all possessing apps with a 4.8-star rating - a Traveline SW or I want to go and see a film, all I need to result that exceeds the 4.7-star rating achieved Combined rating: 3.4 (218 ratings) do is get my phone out go into an app’ ... by the popular Domino’s Pizza app. Operator: Traveline South West [In comparison to] all of these other industries Britain’s biggest bus operator, Stagecoach, Developer: SWPTI and sectors that they are used to dealing with is clearly struggling with a combined rating of and interacting with, the bus industry and just 2.5 stars for its bus app. Go-Ahead Group Traveline Scotland public transport more generally feels really is also lagging behind - eight of the 10 lowest Combined rating: 3.1 (1.6k ratings) outdated and antiquated to them.” rated bus apps were for its UK bus subsidiary Operator: Traveline Scotland Is that a fair assessment? For the first time, companies, with Brighton & Hove receiving Developer: Traveline Scotland Ltd Passenger Transport has researched what apps are the lowest rating (1.6 stars). currently available to public transport users, Globe-trotting journey planner apps two stars young and old, and how they are rated. Citymapper and Moovit each received ratings We identified 85 passenger transport apps, of 4.5 stars from their users. Trainline, which is Traveline Cymru fulfilling a range of functions across different currently valued at an incredible £2.2bn, also Combined rating: 2.8 (360 ratings) transport modes. We looked at their five-star achieves a 4.5-star rating. In contrast, the four Operator: Traveline Cymru user ratings for the iOS (Apple) and Android industry-funded Traveline apps achieve ratings Developer: PTI Cymru Ltd formats on August 27 and then we combined of between 2.5 and 3.4 stars, and the National them to create an overall user rating. This Rail Enquiries app achieves just 2.4 stars. When Traveline South & East revealed wide variations in ratings. A third of the open data powers of the Bus Services Act Combined rating: 2.5 (151 ratings) the 85 apps (28) achieved a rating of four stars come in, will those people who make apps for a Operator: Traveline South & East while 13% (11) achieved only one star. living sweep everyone else away? Developer: PTI (South East) Ltd It’s interesting to note that bus and coach It is clear that some of these 85 apps rival the operators are better at apps than their rail best available, and make using public transport National Rail Enquires based brethren. Only 16% of train operator as easy as ordering a pizza. But others are not Combined rating: 2.4 (20.7k ratings) apps achieved a combined iOS/Android rating getting the most out of this technology and Operator: National Rail Enquiries of four stars or more compared to almost half could risk losing their slice of the action. Developer: National Rail (49%) of the bus and coach operator apps. The four-star train operator apps were for Sample review: trainline three of FirstGroup’s train operators (Hull “It is clear that some “Great app. Does exactly what it’s supposed Trains, GWR and SWR) and open access of these 85 apps rival to. Quick and easy to buy tickets and they are operator Grand Central. At the other end cheaper than buying them from the station.” of the table, Chiltern Railways and c2c, the best available”
26 | 6 September 2019 www.passengertransport.co.uk
PT216p26-29.indd 26 04/09/2019 14:41 train operators
four stars Southeastern On Track West Midlands Railway Combined rating: 2.6 (743 ratings) Combined rating: 2.1 (155 ratings) Hull trains Operator: Southeastern (Govia) Operator: WMT (Abellio) Combined rating: 4.4 (602 ratings) Developer: Go-Ahead Group Developer: West Midlands Trains Operator: Hull Trains (FirstGroup) Developer: First Hull Trains Merseyrail Thameslink On Track Combined rating: 2.5 (200 ratings) Combined rating: 2.0 (485 ratings) great western railway Operator: Merseyrail Operator: Govia Thameslink Railway Combined rating: 4.3 (30.4k ratings) Developer: Merseyrail Developer: Go-Ahead Group Operator: GWR (FirstGroup) Developer: First Great Western Greater Anglia Heathrow Express Combined rating: 2.4 (903 ratings) Combined rating: 2.0 (884 ratings) south western railway Operator: Abellio East Anglia Operator: Heathrow Express Combined rating: 4.3 (13.0k ratings) Developer: Abellio East Anglia Developer: Heathrow Express Operator: SWR (FirstGroup/MTR) Developer: First/MTR Southern On Track one star Combined rating: 2.4 (803 ratings) grand central railway Operator: Govia Thameslink Railway Gatwick Express Combined rating: 4.2 (33 ratings) Developer: Go-Ahead Group Combined rating: 1.9 (159 ratings) Operator: GWR (FirstGroup) Operator: Govia Thameslink Railway Developer: First Great Western Northern Developer: Go-Ahead Group Combined rating: 2.4 (1.3k ratings) three stars Operator: Northern (Arriva) Caledonian Sleeper Developer: Northern Combined rating: 1.8 (21 ratings) TransPennine Express Operator: Caledonian Sleeper Combined rating: 3.9 (2.3k ratings) ScotRail Developer: Soluis Group Limited Operator: TPE (FirstGroup) Combined rating: 2.3 (1.8k ratings) Developer: First TPE Operator: ScotRail (Abellio) Stansted Express Tickets Developer: ScotRail Combined rating: 1.7 (412 ratings) Virgin Trains: Tickets & Times Operator: Abellio East Anglia Combined rating: 3.3 (2.3k ratings) Developer: Abellio East Anglia Operator: Virgin Trains Developer: Virgin Trains London N’western Railway Combined rating: 1.7 (171 ratings) TfW Rail Operator: WMT (Abellio) Combined rating: 3.0 (163 ratings) Developer: West Midlands Trains Operator: TfW Rail Developer: TfW Rail LNER Travel Buddy Combined rating: 1.6 (731 ratings) two stars Operator: LNER Developer: LNER East Midlands Railway Combined rating: 2.8 (211 ratings) c2c Live Operator: East Midlands (Abellio) Combined rating: 1.5 (355 ratings) Developer: East Midlands Railway Operator: c2c Developer: Trenitalia c2c Limited Train Tickets Combined rating: 2.6 (1.8k ratings) Chiltern Railways - Tickets Operator: CrossCountry (Arriva) Hull Trains had the Combined rating: 1.5 (745 ratings) highest rated train Developer: CrossCountry Trains operator app Operator: Chiltern Railways Developer: Chiltern Railways
www.passengertransport.co.uk 6 September 2019 | 27
PT216p26-29.indd 27 04/09/2019 14:41 mAKING TRAVEL SIMPLE apps
bus and coach operators
four stars McGill’s Buses nx bus mticket Combined rating: 4.5 (781 ratings) Combined rating: 3.6 (632 ratings) BPL Transport Operator: McGill’s Buses Operator: National Express WM Combined rating: 4.8 (2.4k ratings) Developer: Passenger Developer: National Express Operator: Blackpool Transport Developer: Passenger Oxford Tube Mobile Ticket tfe m-tickets Combined rating: 4.4 (524 ratings) Combined rating: 3.4 (6.3k ratings) Touch & Go Operator: Oxford Tube Operator: Transport for Edinburgh Combined rating: 4.8 (130 ratings) Developer: Corethree Developer: Corethree Operator: Warrington’s Own Buses Developer: Passenger Green Line 702 hugo Combined rating: 4.4 (114 ratings) Combined rating: 3.2 (223 ratings) Borders Buses Operator: Reading Buses Operator: trentbarton Combined rating: 4.8 (944 ratings) Developer: Passenger Developer: trentbarton Operator: West Coast Motors Developer: Passenger National Express Coach xplore dundee mticket Combined rating: 4.2 (7.3k ratings) Combined rating: 3.2 (30 ratings) NCTX Buses Operator: National Express Coach Operator: National Express Dundee Combined rating: 4.8 (6.2k ratings) Developer: National Express Coach Developer: Masabi Operator: Nottingham City Transport Developer: Passenger Whippet Bus m-ticket go north west Combined rating: 4.2 (142 ratings) Combined rating: 3.1 (36 ratings) EY Buses Operator: Whippet Bus Operator: Go North West Combined rating: 4.7 (1.7k ratings) Developer: Corethree Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc Operator: East Yorkshire Developer: Passenger Transport for Edinburgh preston bus m-tickets Combined rating: 4.2 (11.4k ratings) Combined rating: 3.0 (33 ratings) Reading Buses Operator: Transport for Edinburgh Operator: Preston Bus Combined rating: 4.7 (3.3k ratings) Developer: Lothian Buses Developer: Masabi Operator: Reading Buses Developer: Passenger First Bus two stars Combined rating: 4.1 (30.5k ratings) Transdev Go Operator: First Bus Stagecoach Bus Combined rating: 4.7 (2.3k ratings) Developer: FirstGroup plc Combined rating: 2.5 (8.0k ratings) Operator: Transdev Blazefield Operator: Stagecoach Bus Developer: Passenger Arriva m-ticket Developer: Stagecoach Group plc Combined rating: 4.0 (12.4k ratings) Kennections Operator: Arriva Clickit2Ride Combined rating: 4.7 (75 ratings) Developer: Corethree Combined rating: 2.5 (269 ratings) Operator: Reading Buses Operator: Go South Coast Developer: Passenger three stars Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc
Cardiff Bus UNO bus National Express Bus Combined rating: 4.6 (4.0k ratings) Combined rating: 3.7 (413 ratings) Combined rating: 2.4 (749 ratings) Operator: Cardiff Bus Operator: Uno Bus Operator: National Express WM Developer: Passenger Developer: Corethree Developer: National Express
YB Move Arriva uk bus app Metrobus Combined rating: 4.6 (1.4k ratings) Combined rating: 3.7 (11.4k ratings) Combined rating: 2.2 (638 ratings) Operator: Yellow Buses Operator: Arriva Operator: Metrobus Developer: Passenger Developer: HaCon Ingenieurges Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc
28 | 6 September 2019 www.passengertransport.co.uk
PT216p26-29.indd 28 04/09/2019 14:41 LRT/metro PTES/translink
Carousel Buses four stars three stars Combined rating: 2.1 (29 ratings) Operator: Carousel Buses Robin Hood Network Translink mLink Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc Combined rating: 4.4 (343 ratings) Combined rating: 3.7 (2.2k ratings) Operator: Nottingham City Council Operator: Translink Go North East Developer: Passenger Developer: Translink Combined rating: 2.1 (537 ratings) Operator: Go North East West Midlands Metro My TfGM Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc Combined rating: 4.1 (275 ratings) Combined rating: 3.2 (101 ratings) Operator: West Midlands Metro Operator: TfGM Plymouth CityBus Developer: West Midlands Metro Developer: TfGM Combined rating: 2.0 (228 ratings) Operator: Plymouth CityBus three stars Network west midlands Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc Combined rating: 3.2 (1.0k ratings) get me there Operator: West Midlands Metro one star Combined rating: 3.6 (5.7k ratings) Developer: West Midlands CA Operator: TfGM Metrolink Oxford Bus Developer: Corethree two stars Combined rating: 1.9 (357 ratings) Operator: Oxford Bus Manchester Metrolink merseytravel Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc Combined rating: 3.2 (731 ratings) Combined rating: 2.5 (193 ratings) Operator: Manchester Metrolink Operator: Merseytravel East Anglia Buses Developer: TfGM Developer: Mentz GmbH Combined rating: 1.8 (108 ratings) Operator: East Anglia Buses Tyne and Wear Metro App translink ni Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc Combined rating: 3.0 (80 ratings) Combined rating: 2.4 (823 ratings) Operator: Tyne & Wear Metro Operator: Translink Diamond Bus Developer: HaCon Ingenieurges Developer: Translink Combined rating: 1.7 (95 ratings) Operator: Diamond Bus Developer: Rise Digital Media new mobility other
Brighton & Hove: Buses Combined rating: 1.6 (551 ratings) four stars three stars Operator: Brighton & Hove Buses Developer: Go-Ahead Group plc Whim - all your journeys ZipTrip Combined rating: 4.1 (422 ratings) Combined rating: 3.7 (401 ratings) Operator: MaaS Global Operator: Ticketer Developer: MaaS Global Developer: Ticketer
three stars two stars
ArrivaClick Intalink Herts Bus M-Tickets Combined rating: 3.8 (143 ratings) Combined rating: 2.2 (280 ratings) Operator: Arriva Operator: Intalink Developer: Via Transportation Inc. Developer: Via Transportation Inc.
PickMeUp OBC Sample review: ArrivaClick Combined rating: 3.2 (85 ratings) “Sometimes there are no pick-ups available Borders Buses got Operator: Oxford Bus (Go-Ahead) but on the whole this app is great” a rating of 4.8 Developer: Via Transportation Inc.
www.passengertransport.co.uk 6 September 2019 | 29
PT216p26-29.indd 29 04/09/2019 14:41