In regions where several carriers operate public transport, passenger revenue has to be distributed from the retailer to the involved carriers. This can be quite complicated in some cases. There is a need for an independent party to give a definitive answer, based on a clear distribution method accepted by all parties.

For example, how should revenue be distributed from non-chipped tickets that can be used with multiple carriers? In many cases, a seemingly limited amount of data is available. Through clever tools and methods, it is still possible to determine a good distribution in many cases. We find these types of complex issues the most interesting to solve.

We have been active in this field for over 20 years and have satisfactorily carried out this work on behalf of various local authorities and associations of transport operators.

Hypercube has developed a scenario tool for carrying out forecasts on the result of adjusted fare policies, which uses usage data from the OV-chipkaart and/or payment card, supplemented (if necessary) by information on sales of non-chip products and fixed-rate revenues.

This scenario tool exploits the principle of backcasting. By this we mean that a traveller’s past travel pattern is projected onto the newly proposed fare policy. The tool determines the probability with which each traveller will travel with a certain subscription under that new fare policy, and to what extent. In this way, hard evidence of the effects on carrier revenues and passenger costs and migration effects, both on revenues and volumes, can be provided for all previously proposed scenarios.

In a scenario study, customer interaction is an integral part of the process. Starting from specific concession or regional characteristics, mapped by us through a market scan, we gladly take up the challenge to (further) develop scenarios together with the client that result in achieving the intended goals. Depending on the intended scenarios, we customise the scenario tool.

Over the past two decades, Hypercube has built an extensive network and developed the necessary expertise in public transport in the Netherlands. We are asked by governments and transport operators to advise on the revenue model of concessions and distinguish ourselves with unique tools in the field of changes in fares and product portfolio. We also develop and provide revenue models for interoperable products.

We offer the results of our analyses and research in, among other things, an information portal that is set up in consultation with the client and shows the policy-supporting insights in an appealing way.

Virtually all our advice is fact-based (read: data-driven). Monitoring and information provision are often an important part of our services. For example, we monitor whether a new tariff policy is delivering what was intended. We are very familiar with handling, for example, OV-chipkaart transactions and publicly available data such as timetable information.