Department for Transport seeks support for public transport data standards

Department of Transport looking for contractor with "excellent working knowledge" of travel information standards

The Department for Transport is seeking support for public transport data standards.

In a public tender notice, the organisation said that in the past it had commissioned the creation of a small number of public transport data standards for use by the wider transport data community.

"These standards are used for sharing information in a consistent format for stops, localities and services, and a separate standard has also been created for cycling data," an ITT statement of requirements document reads.

The data standards take the form of an XML schema together with associated guidance on how to use the standard effectively, the department said.

It added that standards require a technical expert to maintain them, who may also be required to provide clarification on issues relating to their use.

The standards to be supported under the contract are:

• TransXChange (TXC), which is the UK nationwide standard for exchanging bus schedules and related data;
• NaPTAN, which is the UK nationwide system for uniquely identifying all of the points of access to public transport in the UK;
• The national public transport gazetteer (NPTG), which provides a topographic database of towns and settlements in the UK;
• JourneyWeb, which allows two or more journey planning systems with knowledge of different areas or modes to dynamically combine data from both systems building up composite journeys;
• And CycleNetXChange, which is the national cycle path network that defines a format for the exchange of cycle path data.

The Department for Transport is looking for a contractor which has "excellent working knowledge" of travel information standards including the data standards mentioned above.

It wants a contractor with strong XML skills, experience of working with central government, local government, transport operators and technology providers, and excellent written and oral communications skills. It said that SMEs are suitable for the role.

The contract is for a maximum of 20 days over a nine-month period, and the department is not guaranteeing any volume or value other than the initial call off requirement. It states that it is not obliged in any way to use all of the days available under the contract.

In the notice, the department stated that its award criteria is based on the lowest price it can get.