At Optibus, we believe that the individuals working tirelessly to keep our cities moving are among today’s greatest unsung heroes.
Today, we are thrilled to present the Optibus Public Transportation Hero Award to five organizations that have transformed the passenger experience in the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal: Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa (TML), Viação Alvorada, Rodoviária de Lisboa, Transportes Sul do Tejo (TST), and Alsa Todi.
By leading the change from static, paper-based service information to a real-time digital ecosystem, this group has enabled millions of passengers to receive live bus locations and estimated arrival times for 100% of TML’s fleet, placing Lisbon ahead of many metropolitan cities around the world.
Through their application of the General Transit Feed Specification Real-Time (GTFS-RT), the project has involved massive improvements for passengers, including the installation of digital billboards with live arrival times, real-time service alerts about cancellations and delays on multiple mobile apps, and open data on performance metrics on Carris Metropolitana’s website.
"We believe that when the passenger has as much information as possible, they trust more that we're doing everything in our power to serve them. It helps them feel more empowered. Now they can plan their life a little bit better," said Mariana Braga, Communication & Marketing Manager at TML.
This digital transformation initiative resulted from a private-public partnership between:
and a collective of private operators that act as service providers under the Carris Metropolitana public contract:
Together, TML and these operators transported 194 million passengers in 2025.
The Carris Metropolitana app, which provides passengers with live bus locations and real-time alerts, has seen more than 200,000 downloads
Imagine navigating a major city without knowing when your bus will arrive. There are no mobile ETAs or digital billboards - only static printed schedules at bus stops or fixed tables on legacy websites. This was the reality for commuters across the greater Lisbon metro area until recently. The lack of real-time information about delays, cancellations, or detours made services unpredictable for millions.
In 2019, TML and several private operators united around one goal: make Lisbon a global leader in passenger information.
“We want the passengers to know where the bus is and when it is expected to arrive at a certain stop. Is it delayed? Is it ahead of schedule? That way, people can trust our transportation system even more and use it as much as possible instead of other modes of transportation,” said Duarte Cunha, Planning and Operational Control Manager, at TST.
The technical overhaul was intricate and required close collaboration between TML and local operators. The project went into full deployment in 2024 with improvements including:
"This initiative marked a decisive milestone in the digital transformation of our IT landscape. Orchestrating the change management process was a demanding but highly rewarding journey, and we remain committed to evolving the platform to meet new operational demands. Real-time visibility over the entire operation has become a strategic asset — for our teams, our partners, and above all, our passengers. When incidents arise, our operators can now disseminate service updates instantly and across every touchpoint, keeping everyone aligned and informed,” said Nuno Dias, Director of Information Systems at Alvorada.
Real-time service information has created a positive impact for hundreds of millions of passengers and encouraged ridership:
Inigo Extabe, Product Group Manager - Control at Optibus, who worked closely with TST and Alvorada on project implementation, said that the transition to GTFS-RT put TML in the "right spot" to reach their ambition goals.
“The people involved in this project have demonstrated remarkable leadership and deep-seated commitment to passenger service. They fought to make operations in Lisbon something sustainable, something that deserves to be highlighted and can be a good example to others. They have poured immense personal time and effort into navigating this project’s complexities, always prioritizing the public interest. Their dedication sets a new standard for excellence in our industry,” said Inigo.
Thanks to this pioneering group, the Lisbon metro area is easier for passengers to navigate and public transportation is a more reliable mode of mobility. Congratulations to everyone involved in the project and for being true Public Transportation Heroes.
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What is the Optibus Public Transportation Hero Award?
The Optibus Public Transportation Hero Award recognizes those who go above and beyond to improve mobility in their communities - whether through innovation, advocacy, leadership, or everyday action. Anyone can submit a nomination for the award. Just visit this link and click ‘Submit Nomination’.
About Optibus
Optibus is a unified software platform for public transportation planning, scheduling, rostering, operations, real-time control, and passenger information, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and optimization algorithms. In thousands of cities worldwide, transportation agencies and operators use Optibus to maximize the positive impact of public transportation on passengers and the planet, improve operational efficiency and service quality, promote transportation equity, reduce emissions and costs, and modernize operations. Learn more: www.optibus.com
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