Extract from The Daily Telegraph - Business Matters column by Paul Bray based on an interview with Robin Mannings

Ultimately, says Robin Mannings, resident futurologist at BT, pre-booked individual journeys could become part of a master plan that deliberately divides travellers between different routes or even different modes of transport to reduce congestion. If there’s an unforeseen problem, the system could automatically re-book us onto a later flight if it knows we’ll be delayed, or advise us to park and continue by train if our road becomes jammed.

Ticketing could also be revolutionised in the coming years. Joined up travel networks should enable us to purchase one ticket covering several different travel companies and modes of transport (including advance warning of engineering works, temporary bus services etc). Instead of wasting time queuing up to buy a paper ticket we could be using a smartcard like London’s Oyster card, or an electronic ticket pre-loaded onto our mobile phone and read at the ticket barrier using near field communications (NFC) technology.

For joined up travel and personal journey planning to function, says Mannings, they must be supported by several kinds of data. This will include detailed digital maps, accurate timetables, historical information about usage and congestion, details of planned but temporary factors like road works or major events, and real-time information on current congestion. There will also be a need for predictions about the immediate future (you don’t want to know that the motorway is jammed 20 miles ahead, you want to know whether it will still be jammed when you get there).