transportbut

Transportbut is a hypothetical standard and software ecosystem proposed to enable interoperable planning and operation of intermodal transport networks. It comprises a data model, an API layer, and reference implementations intended to unify how schedules, real-time status, pricing, and bookings are exchanged among rail, road, maritime, and air transport providers, as well as third-party planners and app developers. The project emphasizes modularity, open standards, and governance that supports multi-agency collaboration.

Core components include a transport data model with entities such as stops, services, itineraries, vehicles, tariffs, and incidents; a REST or GraphQL API for search, itinerary assembly, booking, and invoicing; and adapters for real-time feeds and external data sources. It supports data formats that are interoperable with existing public transit standards and can be extended via plugins.

Development and governance for Transportbut are described as being led by a consortium of academic and industry partners in the mid-2010s, with versions released periodically. The ecosystem is described as operating under a community charter with contributor guidelines and an open-source reference implementation meant to encourage broad participation and scrutiny.

Impact and limitations include the aim to reduce data silos and enable seamless multi-modal journeys, while adoption remains uneven due to data quality, governance, and the need for agreed security and privacy practices. See also Intermodal transportation, GTFS, and Open data standards.