The integration of various TSP (Transportation Service Provider) services into the Metropia platform greatly expands the mobility options available to end users. Through data interfaces facilitated by the Metropia platform, users can enjoy a seamless door-to-door intermodal experience, selecting pick-up and drop-off locations, choosing trip options such as date and time, service type, and viewing estimated time of arrival (ETA) and trip cost.
The integration includes bi-directional communication with TSPs through ETLs (Extract, Transform, Load) and TSPs' APIs, allowing users to request rides, modify or cancel reservations, and make payments without leaving the Metropia platform. Additionally, the Metropia platform utilizes the TSP Integration Hub to collect, fuse, aggregate, and archive data from various TSP sources, ensuring a unified flow of information. APIs play a crucial role in enabling data sharing among different Metropia sub-systems, while service linkage to TSP platforms or mobile apps provide a solution for scenarios where APIs are unavailable or do not meet all the required functionality. In such cases, users can visualize TSP options within the Metropia interface but will be redirected to the TSP's mobile app to complete the reservation and purchase of services.
TSP Integration Service Integration Interface Framework
Versatile and Flexible Integration
Metropia's Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform has the capability to integrate various types of Transportation Service Providers with different service characteristics. These can generally be categorized into three types:
1. Fixed Route TSP: This type of service operates on fixed schedules and routes, such as locally operated point-to-point or circulating shuttle services. Metropia incorporates these services into its existing GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) file system and internal route database, establishing proper connections to enable seamless intermodal connections. An example is the integration of a fixed route service between a high-speed rail terminal and a university, which is seamlessly incorporated into the Metropia MaaS Trip Planner.
Metropia’s MaaS Trip Planner integrates high-speed rail service in support of Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications UMAJI program.
2. Location-based TSP: This type of TSP includes shared services like micro mobility, such as bike-sharing or scooter-sharing. The TSP provides real-time availability information for individual bikes/scooters, and Metropia's system dynamically incorporates this information into trip planning. This allows users to explore options that include shared micro mobility services. For instance, the trip planning process in Houston incorporates the availability of bikes and available racks for return from the Bcycle bike-sharing service.
3. Demand-Responsive TSP: This type of TSP covers a wide range of services, including Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber or agency-run micro-transit services that do not follow a specific route or schedule.
Metropia strives to accommodate the data format preferred by each TSP to facilitate integration. If a TSP uses a standard data format like GTFS or GTFS-FLEX for schedules and fares, it expedites the integration process. However, Metropia is flexible and can accommodate the preferred data format of each TSP to ensure smooth integration into the platform.