Andreas Sörthaga is Vehicle Strategist for bus services at Västtrafik, one of Sweden’s largest Public Transport Authorities (PTAs). The very first time they used Nordic Port’s system, FRIDA, they made a completely unexpected discovery – one that saved them millions.
Fleet Compliance is the function in FRIDA that monitors all vehicles within a Public Transport Contract. Andreas has worked at Västtrafik for 17 years. Since 2012, he has been responsible for ensuring that the right buses are procured across Västtrafik’s extensive region. With such a large fleet comes a wide range of requirements to monitor– and it is not even certain that all contracted buses are actually operating in traffic as agreed.
You discovered something that saved money using FRIDA?
– Yes. When we started using FRIDA for the first time, we discovered that 17 vehicles were missing– vehicles we were paying compensation for under our Public Transport Contracts. Seventeen buses simply did not exist. Multiply that by approximately SEK 600,000 per vehicle and you understand the amount we had overpaid due to lack of control. Our entire investment in FRIDA paid for itself many times over immediately.
So, significant customer value?
– Absolutely. Not only ensuring that the number of buses is correct, but also in all aspects of monitoring, especially safety-related follow-up. If a bus receives a driving ban, we get an email notification in the morning and can act immediately. We had no visibility of this before. The Public Transport Operator (PTO) receives the same notification, which means they can act straight away as well. That transparency is invaluable.
As Vehicle Strategist, Andreas is responsible for approving which vehicles may operate under a Public Transport Contract. The Contracting Party– the company awarded the contract– applies to operate the service and proposes which vehicles will be used. Andreas reviews the proposal, adjustments may be made, and then approval is granted. After that, it becomes crucial to maintain full control of which vehicles are linked to each contract: The right bus must operate on the right contract, and all contractual requirements must be fulfilled
What distinguishes Västtrafik from most other PTAs in Sweden is the diversity of its operations.
– It’s because our region is quite diverse, says Andreas Sörthaga. We operate everything from school transport and flexible services for elderly passengers to urban bus networks and regular route services in rural and sparsely populated areas. From the metropolitan city of Gothenburg to smaller towns such as Vänersborg and Uddevalla. We also operate all modes of public transport within Västtrafik, except metro.
Today, Fleet Compliance in FRIDA monitors allvehicles linked to a Public Transport Contract. The system flags deviations automatically, for example if a vehicle exceeds the maximum permitted age under the contract, an incorrect Vehicle Type is used, a vehicle has not passed required Vehicle Inspection, contract compliance requirements are not met. Everything is presented clearly in a structured interface. – I can see the entire vehicle plan for a contract on my screen, Andreas explains. – I see how old the buses are, which vehicles are linked to compensation under the contract, and if something does not meet the requirements, it is highlighted in red. We can follow every contract in detail at all times.
Major benefits with Fleet Compliance?
– Absolutely! FRIDA is excellent. The system already has many strong features – and even more are coming in the next version, which I understand will be launched before Midsummer. I’m really looking forward to testing the next generation of Fleet Compliance. FRIDA is already very good, and with the new version it will be even better.
Can you tell us more about the next version?
– Nordic Port has shown us some of what they areplanning. They’ve added even more features on top of what already exists. Today, we cannot see whether a bus has passed its official inspection, nor can we see whether it has been approved in our own Vehicle Inspections. In the new version, we will be able to see all of that. We’ll have everything we need in one single place.From what we’ve seen so far, I can say that it looks very promising. It will be truly unique!
According to Andreas Sörthaga, the new generation of Fleet Compliance will represent a major step forward for Västtrafik. But he also sees significant value for smaller Public Transport Authorities (PTAs) that do not have the same level of internal resources as a large organisation like Västtrafik. – Having everything consolidated in FRIDA will be a real improvement for everyone – especially for the smaller authorities. I’m absolutely convinced of that.
Today, all PTAs in Sweden and several in Norway use FRIDA. What differs is how many of the available modules and functions are actively used. Västtrafik uses almost the full platform, while others use selected parts. – Västtrafik has many employees working with FRIDA across different areas of the system. I personally work only with buses, says Andreas Sörthaga. Others work with trams, ferries, commuter rail and taxi services. FRIDA supports all modes of public transport.
– The new version of Fleet Compliance makes it even easier for me as a Vehicle Strategist – and for everyone else who needs full control – to truly stay in control. Having everything in one place, having a consolidated overview of the fleet down to each individual bus. You know exactly the status of every vehicle.
Would you recommend others to start using FRIDA?
– Absolutely. It works extremely well and saves a lot of time and money. The new version will be even more efficient, and I’m really looking forward to starting to use it, says Andreas Sörthaga.