South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has selected Velociti Solutions’ contract management and performance system to support the management of its bus network.
This has come as SYMCA has this week announced its move towards franchising and bringing bus services in South Yorkshire back under public control for the first time in 40 years.
Historically, management of its 360 tendered bus routes—operated by 15 different bus companies—has been conducted manually, resulting in limited data and complex processes.
It is now aiming to streamline the effort and improve the efficiency of bus travel in South Yorkshire, for which it must evaluate the performance of the contracted network, focusing on identifying strengths and pinpointing areas for improvement.
Velociti said that its contract performance solution will allow SYMCA to manage all aspects of contract management and monitoring through a single platform. The solution has the capability for a detailed analysis of the contracted network and enables the benchmarking of operators against key performance indicators including reliability, driver performance and processes related to vehicles and operators.
Data analysis
SYMCA has also invested in electronic ticket machine data analysis software to capture and analyse every passenger transaction within the network. This includes data on ticket types purchased, total passenger numbers, and more, allowing SYMCA to make informed and cost-effective decisions.
Matt Goggins, director of bus reform at SYMCA, said: “As we transition towards a franchised network, it is essential that we have the right tools in place to manage and monitor network performance cost-effectively. Gaining a deeper understanding of our contracted network is critical to improving services and increasing bus usage across South Yorkshire.
“Having all performance metrics readily available in one platform is invaluable; it will save us valuable time on administrative tasks and enable us to develop improvement plans based on in-depth and accurate data.”
Nick Brookes, chief customer officer at Velociti Solutions, said: “Greater collaboration between local transport authorities (LTAs) and bus operators is vital, whether a region opts for a franchised or enhanced partnership model. Transparency is key, and that is what contract performance provides—clear metrics that empower LTAs to make data driven decisions that meet the needs of passengers, ultimately leading to increased patronage.”
