Interoperability: a cornerstone of smart mobility

For decades, public transportation developed as a constellation of independent systems. Each operator, each city, and each manufacturer built its own technological ecosystem: control centers that didn’t communicate with each other, isolated validation systems, closed data networks, and applications that spoke different languages.

It was a digital Tower of Babel: locally efficient, but unable to offer a holistic view of the system. Data were trapped in silos, making it impossible to coordinate fleets, analyze actual demand, or plan services from an integrated perspective.

Today, cities are larger, their residents are more digital, and sustainability is more pressing than ever. Mobility needs have gone from being local to becoming part of an integrated and interconnected ecosystem. It’s not just about moving vehicles, but also about linking people and data efficiently and safely while taking care of the environment.

Mobility must function as a living, connected ecosystem, where all parties—vehicles, infrastructure, operators and users—interact and communicate transparently and openly. To do so, it needs a unifying code: interoperability.

A SHARED LANGUAGE

Interoperability enables different systems—such as ticketing, computer-aided dispatch, traveler information, or means of payment—to communicate regardless of manufacturer, age, or the technology itself, making real and efficient cooperation possible.

Thanks to this integration, passengers can use their tickets to board any bus, regardless of who the operator is. Similarly, a control center can coordinate fleets from different providers and a regional authority can integrate all mobility services under a single platform. This connectivity breaks down barriers between systems and creates a collaborative environment where each stakeholder contributes to a holistic vision of public transportation.

This environment also allows public institutions and managers to make decisions based on unified indicators, anticipate peaks in demand, and offer passengers more intuitive and personalized mobility experiences.

THE REGULATORY PRINCIPLE

The principle of interoperability is based on two fundamental regulatory frameworks. The first is ISO 24014-1:2021. This international standard defines the architecture of interoperable fare management in public transportation. It establishes roles, data flows, and functional relationships that enable both technical and commercial interoperability. This standard lays the foundation for MaaS (Mobility as a Service) models, where the user accesses all modes of transportation from a single integrated platform.

The second is the ITxPT (Information Technology for Public Transport) framework, developed by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), which transfers the concept of interoperability to the technical field. ITxPT defines how vehicles, control centers, and onboard systems should communicate using open interfaces, modular architectures, and plug & play certifications, so that any component can be seamlessly integrated into a common operating ecosystem.

The following communication protocols then bring these regulatory frameworks to life: SIRI / CEN TS 15531 (real-time information), GTFS / GTFS-RT / NeTEx / Transmodel (master data, topology, and planning) and RTIG T030-1.3 (CAD/AVL-vehicle exchange).

Together, they make up the shared language of intelligent transportation, replacing chaos with a connected and coherent system. The gradual adoption of these standards not only improves operational efficiency, but also provides agile, scalable, user-centered solutions.

THE JOURNEY OF A PIECE OF DATA

To understand the true value of interoperability, let’s look at the daily journey of a single piece of data. When a bus starts service, the onboard systems record its GNSS position, speed, and validation events, while the driver interacts with the vehicle interface and the communication systems interact with the control center.

Once generated, this piece of data is integrated into a continuous flow that exemplifies the system’s interoperability. On board, the system gathers information from different subsystems, connected through open protocols based on MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport), and transmits it via RTIG, guaranteeing open, secure, and real-time communication.

In the cloud, the information is standardized and distributed among the different operating, ticketing, and passenger information modules through open and documented APIs. In the control center, operators view network status in real time, manage incidents, and optimize resources thanks to consolidated and consistent information. And finally, at the bus stop or on the mobile app, users can check when their bus is coming thanks to the data provided in the SIRI (Service Interface for Real Time Information) and GTFS-RT (General Transit Feed Specification - Realtime) formats, which are accessible and universal.

In just seconds, a single piece of data has passed through multiple technologies, levels, and manufacturers without losing its meaning or breaking the value chain. This is true interoperability: when each element of the system understands the message, adapts it to its language, and turns it into a tangible service.

This seamless flow enables data-driven decision making, facilitates process automation, and lays the foundation for predictive mobility, where systems are constantly learning, anticipating, and improving.

FUNCTIONAL AND BUSINESS INTEROPERABILITY

Beyond the technical aspects, interoperability must also be reflected in processes and management, integrating operation, ticketing, passenger information, video surveillance, and efficient driving all in a single environment. This ensures that all modules share a common database and a consistent information model.

This organizational interoperability must also be reflected in the management of roles, settlements, and compensations among operators. Unifying master data facilitates integration with MaaS platforms and new forms of collaborative mobility, both now and in the future. This means that interoperability turns operational complexity into a coherent and collaborative system where technology adapts to the service, not the other way around.

This functional approach also enhances multimodal planning, energy management, and advanced analytics for decision making, contributing to more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable transportation. It also fosters an integrated vision of mobility, where players at different administrative levels share information and align strategies based on shared goals.

MULTI-LEVEL AND MULTI-MANUFACTURER INTEROPERABILITY

In public transportation, interoperability is measured not only by the ability to share data, but also by the ability to integrate technologies, equipment, and solutions from different suppliers into a single operating ecosystem.

In this regard, a cutting-edge platform for public transportation management must act as a true integration hubthat can communicate, coordinate, and manage a wide range of systems under a single data model. These solutions make it possible to centralize third-party data on fleets, ticketing, passenger information, and surveillance cameras, transforming them to achieve an operational, comprehensive vision.

The result is a truly open and modular environment where equipment and applications from multiple sources communicate seamlessly using standards such as REST APIs, SIRI, NeTEx, GTFS, RTIG, and Transmodel models.

This technological openness also facilitates maintenance, updating, and scalability processes, eliminating proprietary dependencies, reducing technology renewal costs, and guaranteeing the long-term scalability of public transport systems. It also strengthens technological sovereignty, allowing systems to evolve without restrictions imposed by specific suppliers.

Interoperability also helps create collaborative innovation environments where different manufacturers can develop complementary, certifiable, and easily integrable components, accelerating the technological progress of the sector.

INTEROPERABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

When systems understand each other, it’s also a win for the planet. Interoperability reduces technological overlap, optimizes the use of resources, and promotes intermodal transportation, all of which makes public transportation more attractive, reliable, and efficient and also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Interoperability supports SDG 9 by fostering resilient, digital, and open infrastructure that can adapt to innovation and endure over time. It supports SDG 11 by strengthening public transportation as the backbone of sustainable and connected urban mobility. And it reinforces SDG 13 by promoting climate action through decarbonization of the sector and reduction of its carbon footprint.

Interoperability also supports energy efficiency and a fair digital transition, two of the cornerstones of the new Sustainable Mobility Act, aligning technological development with environmental responsibility.

An interoperable ecosystem makes it possible to leverage data to improve fleet energy management, plan more sustainable routes, and reduce empty runs. The result? Cleaner, more efficient, people-centered transportation.

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION

Today, when a passenger checks their cell phone to see when their bus is coming or pays with a bank card, they’re activating thousands of processes that cooperate in harmony. Every message, every coordinate, and every validation runs through an ecosystem of standards, APIs, and interoperable architectures that ensure the accurate and secure flow of information.

Thanks to interoperability, this connected system is now at the heart of public transportation. And GMV has been an architect, engineer, and translator in this process, turning disjointed systems into a global digital mobility system. Thanks to this approach, interoperability is no longer a theoretical promise but a tangible reality: an open ecosystem where all systems, regardless of their origin, speak the same technological language and cooperate for a shared purpose: to offer more efficient and sustainable mobility.

Interoperability is now a key part of daily travel on thousands of vehicles around the world. Today’s mobility is not based on isolated systems; rather, it depends on their ability to understand each other, integrate with each other, and evolve.