Public Transport in Wales and the West Event: Key takeaways from Cardiff

Attending the Public Transport Wales and the West event in Cardiff in March this year provided ITSO with a valuable opportunity to engage with stakeholders from both the bus and rail sectors. It allowed us to reconnect with several existing suppliers - reinforcing those relationships - while also establishing new connections with organisations operating in various parts of the ITSO ecosystem. The diverse representation among operators, technology providers, and policy stakeholders made it a particularly beneficial setting for understanding how priorities were evolving within the industry.

Several recurring and thought-provoking discussions emerged throughout the event, with inclusion standing out as a central theme. This encompassed not only workforce diversity but also the broader passenger experience. Two closely linked concepts resonated throughout: the idea of “fairness” in transport and the risk of leaving people behind as the sector shifted toward digital solutions.

There was a clear consensus that fairness had to be considered in a much broader context than pricing alone. While affordability remained important, structural factors such as geography, service design, and access to information often significantly impacted an individual’s ability to travel. For instance, it was noted that passengers in rural or underserved areas frequently encountered limited service frequency, reduced connectivity, and fewer modal options, which hindered access to employment, healthcare, and education. Additionally, passengers with disabilities faced barriers at multiple points—from journey planning and ticket purchasing to physical infrastructure and real-time information - highlighting that accessibility challenges were often cumulative rather than isolated.

The increasing digitisation of transport services added another important dimension to this discussion. While digital ticketing, account-based systems, and app-based journey planning offered clear benefits in terms of convenience and efficiency, there was a shared acknowledgement that these advancements could unintentionally exclude certain groups. Individuals without access to smartphones, digital payment methods, or the confidence to engage with digital platforms risked being marginalised if alternative channels were not maintained. Consequently, there was a strong emphasis on the need for inclusive design principles to ensure that digital innovation enhanced access rather than limited it.

Another theme underpinning many of these discussions was the importance of collaboration and interoperability. Achieving a fairer, more inclusive transport system could not be accomplished in isolation; it required alignment among operators, local authorities, technology providers, and standards bodies. In this context, the role of common standards and integrated systems became increasingly important, particularly in enabling seamless, accessible, and user-friendly journeys across different modes and regions.

Overall, the themes discussed reflected wider systemic challenges within the transport sector. They underlined the need for a more holistic, user-centred approach - one that took into account the entire journey experience, the diversity of user needs, and the potential unintended consequences of technological change. Addressing these issues will require sustained collaboration, targeted investment, and a commitment to embedding inclusion and fairness as core design principles rather than as afterthoughts.

If you are aware of other events, forums, or working groups where we could contribute to these discussions or gain further insights contact julie.liburd@itso.org.uk.