Tag: tech

We were finalists at the Apple Design Awards!

The team here at Transreport are thrilled to announce that we were officially named as finalists in the ‘Inclusivity’ category at the 2023 Apple Design Awards. Being nominated for this award is an honour in itself and a testament to all the hard work that our team has put into the development of the Passenger Assistance app. We are so proud and honoured to have been nominated in this category alongside so many other great apps. To discover the rest of the categories in this year’s awards and to find out more about our fellow finalists, head over to Apple’s official website. 

We want to take this opportunity to thank Apple for acknowledging our continued efforts on our app’s impact on improving accessibility. This nomination is not just an achievement for our team, it’s a celebration of the power of inclusive design in the tech industry. The inclusivity category is about creating a great experience for all by supporting people from a diversity of backgrounds, abilities, and languages. 

What is the Passenger Assistance app, and what does it do? Our team believes that everyone should be able to travel spontaneously and have the independence and flexibility they desire. That’s why we created the Passenger Assistance app, a bridge to simplify assisted travel. We developed a travel app for disabled and older people that allows users to easily request and book assistance for rail journeys. This recognition by Apple serves as a powerful affirmation of our team’s collective efforts and the impact that our app has had in creating a meaningful product that resonates with our users. 

We would like to say a huge congratulations to our fellow nominees and those nominated in all other categories and a huge congratulations to Universe — Website Builder by Universe Exploration on winning the award in our category! Becoming a finalist is a huge achievement and a significant milestone on our journey. While it is called the ‘Design’ award, it’s essential to recognise that design encompasses much more than just visual elements. It encompasses concepts, mentality, user experience, code, and so much more.

Our team are currently at the Apple headquarters in Cupertino. Our Accessibility and Inclusion manager, Emma, has her assistance dog Luna who is pictured above.

Transreport Trusted To Help Make Japanese Railways More Accessible

A collaboration between Transreport, the UK’s fastest growing accessibility technology company, and one of Japan’s leading railway companies, Hankyu Corporation, the subsidiary company of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc., is set to transform the experience of train travel for disabled and older people in Japan.

Three trains with multiple rail tracks surrounding them.

Passenger Assistance is an app designed to make it simpler for disabled and older people to organise the assistance they need when travelling on public transport.

Using this technology, passengers can book assistance, communicate their access needs, make seat reservations, and provide feedback on service levels for the journeys they make.

Since launching in the UK in 2021, the app has been used by over 200,000 passengers and processes over 100,000 bookings per month.

Now, following the successful Proof of Concepts (PoCs), Transreport is partnering with Hankyu Corporation to help transform train travel for disabled and older people in Japan.

On news of the project, Founder and CEO of Transreport, Jay Shen, said:
“We’re thrilled to be working with Japan’s prestigious and forward-thinking rail network and we’re proud to have been chosen by Hankyu Corporation to help transform the travel experience for millions of people. Our aim is to make travel accessible for everyone and this partnership takes us one step closer to achieving that goal.”

With an estimated 37 million people in Japan requiring assistance when travelling, Passenger Assistance has the potential to make a significant difference to disabled and older passengers.

The partnership also highlights the trust that Japanese railway companies have in Transreport to support their rail services – Japan has almost four times as many rail stations and 15 times more rail passengers annually than the UK. There are around 2,600-2,700 rail stations in the UK while Japan has over 9,700 with the country seeing around 25 billion rail journeys annually, compared to the UK’s 1.7 billion.

Jay added: “Japan arguably has one of, if not, the best railway systems in the world. Yet train companies in Japan, like many around the world, are facing increasing challenges in providing assistance services.”

“The PoCs have proven that our technology will help operators to enhance operational efficiency, reduce cost, uplift revenue, and increase customer satisfaction. Most importantly it will have a positive impact on millions of disabled and older passengers each and every year.”

On the announcement, Hankyu Hanshin Holdings said:
“Our group aims to create livable communities where everyone can sustainably and comfortably live by promoting initiatives such as improving accessibility and barriers to travel using cutting-edge technology in our business area centred around railway lines.

With this partnership, we will collaborate with Transreport to provide even more convenient accessibility support services to railway passengers and introduce them to various facilities and services of our group, accelerating our efforts to create attractive urban development and communities.”

Sky’s the Limit – Transreport Making Accessibility Plane and Simple

We are excited to announce a new chapter in our journey as we expand our flagship product, the Passenger Assistance app, into the aviation industry. Since its launch in 2021, our app has been a game-changer for accessible travel, used by over 200,000 passengers and processing over 100,000 bookings per month. By leveraging our expertise into the aviation sector, we can continue to focus on breaking barriers and prioritising access for disabled and older travellers.

Empty airport terminal lounge with airplane on background. 3d illustration

As a technology company that specialises in accessibility, we actively engage with disabled people and listen to their lived experiences in relation to travel. These experiences alongside collaborating with industry experts, enable us to apply our tailor-made technology to the aviation industry. With this expansion, we aim to ensure that disabled people have their access needs prioritised, while also helping airports and airlines streamline their processes and reduce operational costs.

Challenges in Accessibility for Air Travel

Disabled and older passengers often face challenges when travelling by plane. According to the Civil Aviation Authority, in 2022, over 310 million passenger journeys were made to, from, and within the UK, with over 4.5 million of those passengers requiring assistance. This highlights the pressing need for enhanced accessibility measures in the aviation industry to ensure that everyone can have a positive travel experience.

The Solution: Passenger Assistance App

As air travel continues to rise, ensuring accessibility for all passengers, especially disabled and older people, is really important. Our Passenger Assistance app is the ultimate solution to address these challenges. The app simplifies the process of organising assistance, making it easy for passengers to request the support they need for a comfortable, safe, and efficient journey. It is a crucial step towards making air travel more accessible and inclusive. 

By integrating our technology, airports and airlines can enhance efficiency and productivity while delivering a superior customer experience. Not only does it enhance the overall customer satisfaction, but it also contributes to increased safety and security measures and reduces operational costs. Providing airport staff with the necessary tools and information will allow them to deliver a service that caters to the unique requirements of each passenger, ensuring both their comfort and safety.

Our expansion into the aviation industry is a testament to our commitment to making travel more accessible for everyone. We are proud to bring our innovative Passenger Assistance technology to the aviation sector, and we look forward to partnering with airports and airlines to improve the travel experience for disabled and older people. Our vision of creating a world without barriers to travel is a step closer with the expansion of Passenger Assistance into the aviation industry and we couldn’t be more excited! 

To find out more about our expansion, visit our Aviation page.