1.1 General
The European reference data model for public transport is an offer to public transport companies and other providers of services related to the process of passenger transportation and information, to suppliers of software products supporting these processes, and to consultants and other experts acting in the field of public transport in the widest sense.
The reference data model can support the development of software applications, their interaction or combination in an integrated information system, and the system‘s organisation and information management which rules the utilisation of the existing telematics environment in a company (or group of companies) running computer applications supporting the different functional areas of public transport.
Although primarily designed to document the information needs of a public transport company in a well defined and structured way, the reference data model can also serve as a starting point and reference for the definition of a database schema. A database schema is needed for the physical implementation of data storage systems to be used by applications directly, or for exchange of data between applications via interfaces. Apart from that, such a database will often additionally be used as a source of information for the company management and/or as an information pool for all employees who may need access to the information basis of the company.