Overview
Integrated Transport Planning (ITP) by Haskoning is a UK-based consultancy specialising in the design and evaluation of public transport systems. They work with public transport authorities and local councils across the UK – from Portsmouth to Leicestershire to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – supporting network design, efficiency reviews, strategy, and more.
Challenge
To support local authorities with data-driven network planning under tight deadlines, ITP wanted to upgrade and unify their workflows. Phasing out fragmented and manual processes with a strategic planning solution would accelerate project delivery and precision, achieving new levels of service quality and efficiency.
Solution
With Optibus Strategic Planning, ITP unlocked optimisation and analysis tools for transfer times, runtimes, ridership, accessibility, and more. Optibus Scheduling supported the creation of optimised, cost-effective vehicle schedules.
Optibus’s hands-on training enabled ITP’s transport planners to quickly adopt the platform and independently perform tasks including:
- Setting up project environments tailored to client needs
- Import route data and build service plans from scratch or existing datasets
- Add Impact Analysis layers and export outputs for easy sharing with clients
Results
- Recommendations on Leicestershire County Council mobility hubs: Using Optibus Strategic Planning and Scheduling, ITP tested scenarios and advised Leicestershire County Council on enhancements to bus waiting facilities at three rural mobility hubs to enable comfortable, informed interchange between demand responsive transport (DRT) and scheduled bus services. ITP used Optibus to identify connections, predict journey times, test whether routes could run faster and more efficiently, and optimise transfers. They also calculated service PVR and analysed interworking and service modifications within vehicle constraints.
- Side-by-side service comparisons with Bus Open Data Service (BODS): ITP can import routes from the UK’s Bus Open Data Service (BODS) directly into Optibus, enabling side-by-side comparisons with proposed service designs. With Optibus’ built-in tools for distance calculations, journey time predictions, and cost estimates, ITP has deeper visibility into potential service overlaps, gaps, and inefficiencies within the existing network. This ensures new proposals are aligned with demand — avoiding duplication, addressing underserved areas, and minimising resource waste. Planners can quickly create, test, and assess the impact of different service scenarios, equipping them to manage complex, time-sensitive transport planning projects with greater speed and precision.
- Streamlined internal processes: ITP adds to their planning work flows advanced tools for delivering transport projects:
– Simple route and stop creation with interactive mapping and easy stop editing
– Easier, faster timetable creation and revision powered by integrated journey time calculations
– Centralised mapping, scheduling, and route planning workflows, eliminating multiple other platforms - Eastleigh Borough Council Local Plan: Eastleigh Borough Council has commissioned ITP to support its ambitious new Local Plan, aiming to deliver 18,500 new homes over the next two decades. ITP will prepare a comprehensive Transport Assessment, leveraging their expertise in connectivity analysis, strategic modelling, concept design, and stakeholder management. The goal is to identify optimal areas for growth and prioritise opportunities for sustainable travel, including walking, cycling, and public transport. ITP will use the Optibus platform to develop proposals for new bus services and enhance existing routes and gain detailed estimates of vehicle requirements and proposal costs. This will enable Eastleigh Borough Council to make informed decisions as they shape their growth and mobility strategies for the Local Plan.
