In July 2019, RATP Dev became the new delegate in charge of operating the Bibus network for Brest Metropole until 2027. Through its subsidiary RD Brest, RATP Dev has been committed in making mobility more sustainable and in improving the quality of life of Brest residents and visitors. Many challenges come with it, such as the implementation of a new network in 2021, the arrival of a second tramway line and a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) line by 2026, but also the renewal of the bus fleet with electric vehicles from 2021.
Furthermore, during its contract, RD Brest is willing to increase the number of daily journeys by +28,500 and the traffic on Bibus network by 20%. In order to meet these goals, RD Brest has chosen CITiO Analytics, a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution with an innovative approach based on big data technology.
CITiO, a trusted third party to help Bibus network make the most out of their data
CITiO Analytics helps Operators and PTA to simplify access, visualization and analysis of all their data to optimize their public transport network. It leverages big data and artificial intelligence technologies. Data available on the network (GTFS, ticketing validation, Automated Vehicle Location, counting cells, etc.) are centralised in a single reliable database to produce indicators and visualization (origin-destination, punctuality, vehicle crowding level, …), provided in a very ergonomic interface. This way it makes data more accessible by everyone in Bibus organization. PTA and PTO finally become both actors of a transparent and shared “Data and Analytics” culture.
(CITiO Analytics – Dynamic Replay module)
The CITiO Analytics solution can work with all ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) – Brest included – based on an experience with more than 30 transport networks. Then, as a SaaS solution, it is 100% web-based, accessible 7/7 24/24 with first-class SLA (Service Level Agreement) and data security (GDPR compliant) guarantees. Finally, the algorithms developed by CITiO’s data scientist teams significantly increase data accuracy, positioning this solution as a reliable extension to any ITS in place.
“The huge quantity of operating data was surprisingly wasted because of their poor quality as well as the lack of consistency within these. The implementation of Citio’s solution transformed this data lake as smart data flows : this definitely provides the organisation with a new and optimised way of working, both internally (e.g. journey times) and externally (e.g. patronage or loading trends).”
Paul Gardey De Soos (Managing Director of RD Brest)
A vision of transport, enriched and precise with CITiO Analytics
(CITiO Analytics – Ridership module)
Thanks to the optimised visualization delivered, RD Brest teams have access to detailed analysis of the operational performances and network usages by citizens. RD Brest relies on it on a daily basis to guide their decisions and refine their timetables in response to customers needs and traffic reality.
RD Brest uses CITiO Analytics to face many mobility challenges. Their teams are particularly concerned about the ridership of their network, especially in this current COVID-19 crisis where the load on board must be particularly supervised.
Monday 4th of January 2021: a significant milestone was reached for RD Brest, with a bus network in place, that has been completely reshaped. Through CITiO Analytics, the teams were able to identify overcrowded areas and propose better service through additional trips, articulated buses or simply by moving trip times to balance patronage levels.
The teams were also able to observe more rapidly and easily the impacts of the network changes on travel times on the new lines. For example, it took only a few hours to adjust the travel times on line 25, using 4 weeks worth of daily data, removing irrelevant dates because of road traffic accidents and finally finding the right run times to ensure 95% of the trips would be on time going forward.
The teams can also observe the network’s operational performances every day with a remarkable amount of time saved. In fact, to determine the efficiency of the service delivered to passengers, based on their AVL data, particularly course punctuality, they spend now only 2 hours/month instead of 3 days/month before.
(CITiO Analytics – Course module)
On the commercial front, customer complaints are managed 10 times faster, which has positively impacted customer satisfaction. For RD Brest, data access is now easy and analysis is 3 times faster than with their previous tools.
In addition to performance and customer improvement, time and cost savings, CITiO Analytics considerably facilitates exchanges with third parties (PTA, politicians, Unions, Associations…) and report creation thanks to an accurate analysis and better network understanding. Moreover, the report’s quality is strengthened by highly significant graphical elements, resulting in easier identifying objectives and areas for progress.
“Without CITiO Analytics, we would not be able to quickly identify the impacts on our customers of our new timetable and we would waste a considerable amount of time and also money in surveys. The tool is therefore crucial to guide our planning decisions and deliver a timetable that meets user expectations and our own business goals.”
Paul Gardey De Soos (Managing Director of RD Brest)
RD Brest teams gain agility in monitoring their transport network, thanks to relevant indicators and spatial or time filters to adjust and narrow the observation scope. The use of all available data enables RD Brest to manage daily operational issues (data reliability, day-to-day network management), short-term improvements (journey times adjustments, route modifications) as well as long term projects (network reshaping).
Discover a recurrent use case among our customers, through our article:
The reactive adaptation of the transport offer
Pierre Sutter