Problem statement
Traditional network planning can prioritise total passenger demand or commercial viability while overlooking people whose journeys are infrequent, cross-boundary, outside peak hours or essential for work, education, healthcare and caring responsibilities. Authorities taking greater control need robust ways to identify where communities are poorly served and to test whether proposed changes improve practical accessibility.
Underserved audience
Local transport authorities, combined authorities, public health teams, adult social care, disability and older-person organisations, community transport providers, employers, colleges and residents in poorly connected neighbourhoods.
Evidence summary
The public-control announcement states that services should suit communities rather than profit. Bus franchising gives the authority control over routes, fares and timetables, and regional plans include fully accessible stations and passenger-focused targets, creating both a policy mandate and an operational need to measure service gaps.
Demand signal
Authorities will soon control more of the variables that determine accessibility, including routes, frequencies, fares and service standards. That makes unmet-need mapping actionable rather than merely descriptive.
Competition signal
General journey planners serve individual trips, while consultants run periodic accessibility studies. The gap is a civic intelligence product that identifies populations and essential journeys at risk, supports consultation and tracks whether network changes close the gap.
Suggested solution
A community transport service-gap mapping platform that reveals which neighbourhoods and groups cannot reliably reach jobs, education, healthcare and essential services by public transport.
Monetisation angle
Local authority pilot: £15,000–£40,000. Annual district licence: £25,000–£70,000. Combined-authority licence: £80,000–£180,000. Community or charity access tier: free or subsidised, funded through authority and enterprise contracts.
- bbc.co.ukBBC News — Merseyrail to be brought back into public control
- liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.ukLiverpool City Region Combined Authority — Publicly owned, passenger-focused bus upgrades
- liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.ukLiverpool City Region Combined Authority — Four-year regional blueprint
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Liverpool Regional Mobility Intelligence Platform
Score 85/100
Transport Economic Impact Intelligence Platform
Score 78/100
Public Transport Transition Readiness Platform
Score 81/100
Liverpool Regional Mobility Intelligence Platform
Score 85/100
Transport Economic Impact Intelligence Platform
Score 78/100
Public Transport Transition Readiness Platform
Score 81/100