Transport UK uses CitySwift to streamline route reviews and approvals

Transport UK London Bus operates more than 900 buses across six depots in Central, South, and West London, carrying over 145 million customers a year for Transport for London (TfL). Mariusz Przybylski, Schedules Manager, is responsible for managing a team of four schedulers to perform detailed statistical analysis on route efficiency, run schedule reviews, and create operational proposals. Ian Sutton, Head of Tendering and Schedules, acts as the primary liaison between Transport UK and TfL, taking these proposals to TfL to request service improvements and reliability schemes. Ian also manages business tenders and translates data into high-level insights for Transport UK’s executive leadership team.

Before CitySwift, Transport UK had access to performance data through Hyperion, TfL’s internal reporting system, but had no easy way to analyse that data. The team was spending a full day running one route review. Proposals for change submitted to TfL took time to approve, as TfL had to first review how Transport UK had completed its analysis.

Now, with CitySwift acting as the trusted source of performance truth between TfL and Transport UK, Transport UK is able to implement five times more changes.

“We can do more work, quicker. That's the biggest advantage I can see, and also the biggest advantage for TfL, because they can see the same thing. It makes it much easier to implement the changes.”

— Mariusz Przybylski, Schedules Manager

Before Cityswift

• Slow, labour-intensive review process
• Lack of shared source of performance truth with TfL
• Drivers under pressure to maintain unrealistic runtimes

After Cityswift

• Ability to review 2 to 3 routes per week
• Fast-track approvals driven by shared, trusted processes
• Realistic runtimes reduce driver stress and boost job satisfaction

2-3

Route reviews per week

5x

Increase in route changes

#1

In TfL’s high-frequency league table

Operational improvements for drivers and controllers 

By using CitySwift’s platform to build realistic, robust runtimes, Transport UK directly improved the day-to-day experience for its frontline staff.

When timetables fail to reflect the realities on the road, it causes a high-stress environment for bus drivers. The first-line beneficiaries of faster, data-backed schedule reviews are the drivers. 

“The drivers and the controllers have a much better working day because they have robust schedules and they're not under pressure. We've had feedback directly from drivers when we've gone to depots to say how good the new schedules are.”

- Ian Sutton, Head of Tendering and Schedules

Improving the passenger experience while freeing up strategic capacity

A little over a year into its partnership with CitySwift, Transport UK has reviewed every route at least once, with some routes already on their second or third review as schedules keep getting refined. The result is a more robust schedule that delivers a positive passenger experience and drives long-term retention.

The reviews have also resulted in Transport UK moving to the top of TfL's high-frequency league table, increasing patronage, improving revenue for TfL and Transport UK, and freeing up time to focus on more strategic tasks.

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