Delfi reported the Government Office aims, through its MaaS X-tee project and in cooperation with the Transport Administration (Transpordiamet), the Ministry of Climate, and the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, to test a prototype public transport platform which would allow users to plan their entire journey across all transport types, choose suitable connections and purchase tickets, under one roof.

Cloud-based reservation and inventory management solution provider Turnit OÜ has won the tender to develop the public transport data platform prototype, due to be rolled out in November this year.

Aivar Hiio, Head of Innovation at the Government Office, noted Estonia's transport system currently operates largely in isolation, is fragmented, with little or no interoperability between transport and ticketing types, and offers little scope for users to comprehensively plan a journey across Estonia — the project aims to address those issues.

Hiio said the project's goal is to create the preconditions for a more user-friendly and faster mobility system than before, adding whereas at present people must use "several different environments to plan their journey," as well as needing a good understanding of how transport in Estonia works, "the aim of MaaS X-tee is to create a standardized data and query layer that will in the future allow users, with a single click, to plan a route, choose a suitable service and purchase tickets," Hiio said.

Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras (Eesti 200), responsible for the public transport sector, said: "The aim of the reform is to ensure better access across Estonia to services, education and jobs essential for everyday life, and to increase the share of public transport users," adding that "Public transport must become simpler and more convenient for those who wish to use it," said Terras.

The prototype will mediate standardized travel queries and connect mobility services, linking to different transport service providers, while the planned platform will, its proponents say, also create opportunities for joint tickets, travel rights and discounted products.

Johann Peetre, Head of the Mobility Planning Department at the Transport Administration, meanwhile noted options "for foreign service providers to integrate their systems with Estonia," which "in turn, could also benefit the tourism sector," while Ülo Säre, CEO of Turnit OÜ, which won the tender to develop the prototype, said his company has "implemented similar solutions in several countries, and now we can apply this knowledge and best practices in our home market, creating a strong foundation for cooperation within our transport system."

The MaaS X-tee project is being implemented with the support of the Innovation Fund (Innofond), which supports public sector institutions in developing and testing innovative and research-based solutions in cooperation with researchers and partners and which in turn is financed from the European Union Cohesion Policy 2021–2027 measure "Increasing the Innovation Capacity of the Public Sector."

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!