Placr is a transport data aggregator that provides APIs and feeds to power travel apps. It launched a cloud-based transport data service called transportapi.com that makes public transport data available in various formats. Transportapi.com has seen growing adoption with around 100 users. Placr also builds its own apps like BusMapper and works with transport operators to develop custom apps. It aims to turn transport data into useful apps and services that improve the customer experience.

1. Turning transport data into apps
Jonathan Raper
CEO, Placr

2. Placr: a transport data aggregator
• A ‘data-as-a-service’ company since 2009
• Open transport data/OpenStreetMap
• Developer of APIs for data owners e.g. TfL
• Supplier of feeds to travel apps e.g. BusMapper
• Web/ app developer for transport e.g. Trapeze
• All public transport feeds in transportapi.com
• White label travel app at placr.mobi

3. transportapi.com
• Launched with Traveline and
Network Rail feeds this year
• Scalable cloud-based service
• Output in HTML or developer
formats e.g. JSON, XML
• Sign up/ get access online-
now approaching 100 users
• Free use up 1000 hits per day
• Charges for hosting, volume
and guarantees

4. transportapi gallery

5. transportapi.com added value
• OpenStreetMap for stop/station locations
• Travel disruption feeds for partner operators
• London Underground performance indicators
• Real travel time through London bus network
• Bus/train performance

6. transportapi.com design
Live data Disruption Performance OpenStreetMap Timetables

7. Building apps on transportapi.com
• Developer-friendly feeds in a range of formats
• Content that fits into app displays/workflows
• Scaling feeds with app demand >100K hits/day
• Testing and refining with developers

8. BusMapper
• Bus route planning by tapping on map
• Live bus departures/routes across London
• Award winning iOS and Android app

9. UK TravelOptions
• High quality OSM maps
• 3D perspective viewing
• Display/search POIs
• Facebook integration
• Tap thru to transport info
• Timetables for bus, rail, tube
• Tube performance indicators
• iOS app, iPad optimised

10. White-label transport web app
• placr.mobi is a web app built
on top of transportapi.com
• Covers all 360K stops/stations
• Browsable transport info
source with linked displays
• Hosted service to create
custom local apps
• Offers a set of deployable
extensions for operator/user

11. Feedback from travellers
• Customer feedback
– Activity streams report feedback
• Mobile polling
– placr.mobi offers polling tools in
activity streams
– Results are aggregated for
operators

12. Crowd updating
• Many stop facilities are unknown
• Conditions at stops change
• Data gathering by passengers
supported into the web app
• placr.mobi gathers updates and
submits to operator/ OSM
• Mapping/POI from OSM

13. Apps as new information streams
• Apps are new CRM channels
• Behaviour can be measured
• Loadings can be predicted
• Social media updates mined
• Opportunities for 2-way comms
• Lots of new possibilities for apps

14. Analysing user requests
• Mapping London Countdown live bus
departure requests Yellow: weekday
Red: weekend
• Analysing app users requests and
subsequent behaviour
• Building anonymised user profiles

15. Logging service performance
• Real-time data feeds can be recorded & mined
• Bus live departures show commuting patterns
• Early warning of service problems

16. Sentiment analysis
• Local Twitter search eg bus+driver for “London”
• Volume of comments to services by hour/day etc
• Early warning for problems, CRM tool…

17. Business model
Raw timetable &
Real time data
Customer
relationship
Analytics
Free apps
Ads
Compilation,
£££ referencing &
Fees validation
Developers
Integration with Updates,
Other data feeds comments
API
Delivery of data
as-a-service

18. New transport app economy
• Improved journey
experience with apps
• Better informed, more
positive customers
• Customer experience
matches other sectors
• Apps add their own link
to the value chain
• New revenues too?

19. Contact
http://www.placr.co.uk/
jonathan.raper@placr.co.uk
@Madprof