CEN ISO/TS 18234-5:2006 PDF

Overview

CEN ISO/TS 18234-5:2006 defines the Public Transport Information (PTI) application of the TPEG (Transport Protocol Expert Group) family for Traffic and Travel Information (TTI). The Technical Specification describes a language‑independent, byte‑oriented message format and the hierarchical data structures used to encode and deliver public (collective) transport information - from timetable notes and service disruptions to cancellations and network changes - directly from service providers to end‑user systems.

Key topics and technical requirements

• TPEG message model: PTI uses the TPEG byte‑oriented data‑stream format designed for efficient transmission over diverse digital bearers. Messages are structured to be encoded/decoded by both map‑based and non map‑based receivers.
• Application containers: The specification defines a Message Management Container (message metadata: timing, severity, reliability) and an Event (PTI) Container (detailed event descriptions and classification).
• Hierarchical data elements: PTI messages use a superset of data elements to classify events into levels and sub‑levels (including end‑user presentation modes) so receivers can filter and present information appropriately.
• Location referencing: PTI integrates with TPEG location referencing methods (see Part 6) to support map coordinates or human‑readable locations for inter‑urban and intra‑urban travel.
• Coding and tables: The standard specifies encoding rules and indexed TPEG tables (pti01 to pti34) to ensure interoperable semantics across implementations.
• Language independence and filtering: Messages are designed for automated filtering, translation/presentation in the user's language, and agent systems processing.

Practical applications

• Real‑time public transport alerts for:
  • Passenger information displays in stations and on vehicles
  • In‑vehicle infotainment and navigation systems
  • Mobile apps offering service disruption notifications and trip guidance
  • Broadcasters and data aggregators distributing PTI feeds
  • Traffic and transport control centers integrating multimodal status updates
• Use cases include service cancellations, platform changes, planned engineering works, and timetable adjustments for buses, trams, trains, ferries and other collective transport modes.

Who uses this standard

• Public transport operators and network managers
• ITS vendors, data aggregators and broadcasters
• Navigation and mobility app developers
• Regional transport authorities and traffic management centers
• System integrators implementing TPEG‑based services

Related standards

• ISO/TS 18234 parts 1–6 (TPEG family): Part 1 (overview), Part 2 (Syntax, Semantics & Framing), Part 3 (Service & Network Information), Part 4 (Road Traffic Message), Part 6 (Location referencing)
• Developed under CEN/TC 278 and ISO/TC 204 for Intelligent Transport Systems and TTI services.

By implementing ISO/TS 18234-5:2006 (TPEG‑PTI), organizations gain an interoperable, efficient framework to deliver multilingual, machine‑readable public transport information for modern multimodal transport services.