When the European Commission selected ITxPT as the Technical Manager for DATA4PT, it recognised its central role in EU mobility standards. Within the project, ITxPT cooperates with the project coordinator UITP and nine different EU-member states in the DATA4PT consortium.
Background
Today, access to free and standardised data is the key to well-functioning public transport and mobility systems. The aim of DATA4PT is to enhance availability of European mobility data, which goes hand in hand with the ITxPT open architecture, which provides data accessibility and interoperability between IT systems.
In 2017, ITxPT participated in Siri and NeTEx standardisation activities that led to the initiation of DATA4PT by the European Commission. Therefore, it is natural for ITxPT to engage in the project as Implementation Body and Technical Manager.
Within the project, ITxPT will supply validation of the European data standards, NeTEx, and SIRI. Implementing these standards makes it easier for public transport providers to deploy services and meet travelers’ ever-changing mobility demands and behavior.
Synergies
It is not just standards and technical specifications that make it logical for ITxPT to engage in the DATA4PT project. The ITxPT stakeholders are, to a great extent, the same as the target groups of DATA4PT. This means that the project can benefit results at a reduced cost, through shared resources.
Lab and validation
A central activity in the DATA4PT project is to develop validation tools to verify data to feed to the National Access Points.
The ITxPT labs already validate standard compliance within the ITxPT labeling process, which can expand to encompass Siri and NeTEx. The validation process is vital for DATA4PT, and by broadening its scope, ITxPT can provide the necessary validation tools and methods.
By hosting the tools during the project, ITxPT can continue to provide the services after the project finishes. This will secure support and validation tools beyond the end of the project in 2023.