How AI is Transforming Marketing, Efficiency & Passenger Relations in Public Transport
© Ruter
About AI, by AI – this article, alongside three publications, are the output from a rich, interactive workshop exchange by members attending the UITP Marketing Committee meeting in March 2026. The workshop was recorded and the text was written using AI followed by human review.
AI-powered Passenger Information Bots
Generative AI is transforming passenger information from static, one-size-fits-all communication into personalised, conversational support.
From emerging applications in multilingual assistance to real-time wayfinding and disruption management, AI-powered chatbots – built on robust operational data – promise improved efficiency and passenger experience.
Insights Shared by Members
During the UITP Marketing Committee, participants explained how AI is helping overcome long-standing barriers to accessing passenger information.
For example, in Casablanca a multilingual chatbot allows passengers to ask questions in one language about stops named in another, demonstrating AI’s ability to bridge linguistic complexity. Other uses explored by members – and expanded upon in the Report – include how GPS-enabled AI assistants can guide passengers through complex interchanges.
Generative AI for Internal Efficiency
Public transport organisations are increasingly deploying AI to automate repetitive work, improve document quality, and unlock staff productivity. Tender analysis, reporting, benchmarking, and content creation are named by the Marketing Committee’s public transport professionals as high-value applications – while emphasising the continued importance of human judgement and governance.
Insights Shared by Members
Members of the UITP Marketing Committee report efficiency gains from using AI to process large volumes of information. One example involves analysing rail and mobility tenders exceeding 1,000 pages. As well, participants highlighted AI-generated passenger personas as an emerging tool for service design and bid preparation.
The story repeatedly comes back to governance challenges, including data security, fragmented knowledge bases, and the need to develop prompt-writing skills across organisations.
Generative AI in Customer Care & Social Listening
AI is enhancing customer care and passenger insight by supporting contact centre staff, identifying emerging issues and analysing large volumes of feedback. The Report shows how organisations are combining automation with human expertise to improve responsiveness, service quality, and organisational learning.
Insights Shared by Members
The most advanced deployments that members shared include AI as a real-time assistant for customer service agents, drafting responses, and surfacing relevant procedures during live conversations.
Members share examples where AI could help detect critical incidents hidden within complaint data that might otherwise be overlooked. Social listening emerged as another rapidly developing field. Transport for London’s experience analysing online discussions about fare evasion reveals changing public attitudes that traditional surveys failed to capture.