Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has appointed FOD Mobility Group to help design, develop and deliver a travel app giving access to all transport modes in one place for the first time

The app will enable passengers to plan, book and pay for their journeys, and to receive live travel information.

It will include all local transport modes, buses, trains, trams, e-Scooters, walking, cycle hire, taxis, Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), car rental, car club and parking.

The app will tell passenger the most convenient, cost-effective and sustainable routes, with the opportunity to tailor this to preferred options for travelling.

The app will use FOD’s Mobilleo MaaS platform and will replace the existing TfWM app.

It is a step towards achieving TfWM’s plan to provide passengers with a single app and account, easily accessible on a mobile device. TfWM hopes that this will make access to public and shared transport in the region easier and quicker.

It is working on the project with organisations including consultants Arcadis, Brompton Bike Hire and Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Car Club. Also involved in the project partners are ITO World, which provides real-time public transport data across the West Midlands, Euclid and Unicard, which is responsible for integrating with TfWM’s Swift smart travel scheme.

Local authority and transport operator partners will also help with developing the app, which has received funding from the Department for Transport‘s Future Transport Zone programme.

The app will help to meet the aims of the Local Transport Plan, by improving passengers’ experiences, integrating ticketing and information, and reducing the volume of carbon emissions from transport networks.

Anne Shaw, executive director of Transport for West Midlands, said: “TfWM is putting unprecedented investment into growing our Metro, rail, bus and active travel networks.

“As well as developing travel modes, we need to look closely at how we can make accessing transport as seamless as possible through simple plan, book and pay mechanisms. This will encourage more people to use public and shared transport, or active travel and reduce private car use.

“With this new mobility as a service platform we are looking to do just that. We are working with some of the best British tech and mobility companies to design an app which is easy to use, convenient and offers great value. This will be a one stop shop for anyone looking to travel around the West Midlands. We are delighted to bring FOD Mobility Group and other key partners on board to work on this exciting project.”

FOD Mobility Group’s CEO, Justin Whitston, added: “We are truly delighted to be working with TfWM on what will be an exciting and scalable mobility as a service project, powered by our Mobilleo platform. We look forward to working long-term to deliver a new approach to travelling around the West Midlands.”

Oz Choudhri, head of mobility solutions, UK and Ireland for Enterprise said: “We are very excited to be a partner in the project. Enterprise already has a strong presence throughout the West Midlands through our rental and car club operations.

“We are confident that we will further grow this presence enabling us to play a key role in delivering shared and sustainable transport. We will also be working with TfWM on a number of social value projects which will engage with residents and businesses.”