Over the summer we reported the welcome news that Transport for London was making more of its data available for others to reuse:
It’s a smart move because it means the emphasis on working out how to make best use of the data shifts from TfL to the wider commercial sector. That means people can experiment (and fail) in a way that is much harder when politicians, media (and yes, bloggers) are looking over your shoulder waiting to shout “Waste of public money!” if an idea doesn’t pan out. It also means that Transport for London can concentrate on what it is (or should be) good at – running transport services, whilst letting those who are good at developing data services and marrying up different commercial ideas can do what they’re good at.
Now TfL has developed its plans further, as a news release reports:
Transport for London (TfL) today unveiled a redesigned online Developers’ Area containing free travel information for mobile application (apps) producers. The free to use information will enable developers to update existing and produce new apps to give passengers a choice of ways to check the status of their journeys while on the move.
The latest addition is a live Tube travel news feed, known as Trackernet. It shows the location of trains across the London Underground network at any time…
Other information [available] includes:
- Live traffic disruptions;
- Realtime road message signs;
- Barclays Cycle Hire docking station locations;
- Timetable of planned weekend Tube improvement works;
- Station locations (for Tube, DLR and London Overground);
- River Thames pier locations;
- Findaride (licensed private hire operators);
- Oyster Ticket Stop locations.
Making the live Tube travel information available is the result of collaboration between TfL and Microsoft, creating the Azure Cloud platform to host the information that will meet the expected demand from thousands of developers…
The Mayor of London’s economic development advisor, Anthony Browne, said: “In the digital age Londoners expect to be able to find out where their Tube train or bus is at the touch of a button and that is why having this live tracker feed is so vital. By improving the way we help web developers and make this information available to them we can also provide a potential money spinner for the Capital’s software development experts.”…
TfL will continue to make all of its realtime travel information available free to passengers from its website and stations.
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6 Comments
Great stuff.
If only people would talk more about positive stories like this rather than the peripheral issues maybe we could get those opinion poll ratings back into double figures.
Man on the Bus
Perhaps because most people live and work outside London – in the periphery, as you seem to think of it.
No, by “peripheral” I meant people whinging about student fees, disability allowance, housing benefits and so on.
What’s all that in comparison with being able to find out “the location of trains across the London Underground network at any time” ?
@Man on the Bus
Oh – so you meant periphary people.
“peripheal” – well as many people travel on the London Underground each day as travel on the whole of the train service provided by Network Rail for the WHOLE of the UK (London Undergound doesn’t btw even serve just London, as stations go out to three home counties). That’s not to mention the many people who commute into London everyday (and not just from the South East) or come to London on a less regular basis as visitors, tourists, or simply have to travel through London as major transport interchange. Finally, there is a population of 7.5 million living in London, many of which are reliant on public transport.
Yes, there are many issues outside London that need to be covered (and I think this website does a good issue in ensuring that is the case), but suggesting something as important as how Transport for London operates is peripheral is simply inaccurate.
@Simon
“…but suggesting something as important as how Transport for London operates is peripheral is simply inaccurate.”
Nobody did, so there’s no inaccuracy here.