Tele2 IoT connectivity helps Västtrafik manage public transport in western Sweden, making everyone’s journey smoother and more enjoyable. Operating in both rural and urban areas in Västra Götaland, Västtrafik transports nearly one million passengers each day via train, tram, boat, and bus – that’s equal to nearly 12 trips around the globe – and Tele2 IoT is part of the glue that holds things together. By connecting their entire ecosystem with IoT (Internet of Things), passengers can access to real time information about their journey, while Västtrafik is able to react quickly to challenges, as well as improve long-term planning.
For the past three years the Swedish west coast city of Gothenburg has been named the world’s most sustainable destination, but it hasn’t always been that way. Back in the mid-1980s, a leading Swedish politician declared the blue-collar city ‘a courtyard to hell’, spurring local leaders to jump into action. Västtrafik, the public transport provider in the region, has also jumped on the sustainability wagon, with the aim of reducing C02 emissions by 90% and N0X and PM (particles) by 80% by 2035. Additionally, the company is committed to only using fuel from renewable sources by 2030.
“We want to be at the forefront when it comes to sustainability, so we’re focused on the effective use of resources, low impact on the climate, and promoting biological diversity and conditions for ecosystems,” says Daniel Ulfheden, Manager of Telephone Communication, Västtrafik. “2013-2014 we tested our first plug-in hybrid buses in real traffic. In the demo arena ElectriCity Battery Electric Vehicle buses and charging techniques were tested on a large scale between 2015 to 2020. With the knowledge we gained from these tests we felt that we could go from testing to large scale implementation in real traffic.