Using public transport in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal has now become simple. FARA, in cooperation with DataGrafikk, has developed and delivered a brand new travel app that combines route planning, real-time information and ticketing.
“The new app makes it easier and more convenient for travellers in Møre og Romsdal to choose public transport. You can easily find the best route, buy tickets and receive real-time information with just a few clicks”, says Ørjan Kirkefjord, Managing Director of FARA.
In most counties, travellers must use different apps and websites to find the best travel route, information about delays, prices and ticket purchasing. In Møre og Romsdal, all this is combined in the FRAM app. Since its launch in July, the app has been downloaded over 20,000 times.
Møre og Romsdal is the first county in Norway that combines travel planning, real-time information and ticketing in one single solution. “Our solution is innovative, and an app that includes both travel planning and ticketing is completely unique in Norway. The traveller gets information about the entire trip, including travel time and transfers between different modes of transport”, says Toril Karlsnes Viken, responsible for ICT development and strategy in the Department of Transport, Møre og Romsdal county.
The contract between FARA and Møre og Romsdal county was signed in October 2016. The new app integrated FARA’s ticketing solution with DataGrafikk’s existing travel planner. In addition, Hogia has delivered real-time information from PubTrans.
“Our system relies on getting information from timetables and the real-time information from PubTrans, and Hogia has helped us make use of this information. With FARA’s innovative ticketing solution and open interface, the FRAM app has become a forward-looking solution”, says Rolf Einar Eriksen, Manager of DataGrafikk.
“With Hogia PubTrans, information is updated in one place for all platforms: travel planner, Internet, signs, bus stops and so on. This ensures effective handling and reduces the risk of errors, making it easier for travellers to plan their journey”, says Mats Johansson, Managing Director of Hogia Communications.
“It’s been incredibly exciting to develop a product that has not previously existed in the Norwegian market. Our open interface makes it easy to integrate new and existing solutions, as we have done with DataGrafikk and Hogia. We have delivered a similar solution in Salzburg, Austria, where we collaborated with a local partner. FARA has experienced the importance of standardised and scalable solutions that allow for simple implementation also in other counties and countries. FARA has its own real-time solutions, but this demonstrates that we can also integrate with third parties”, says Kirkefjord.
The new FRAM app was released on 1 July 2017 and is available on both AppStore and Google Play.
