In partnership with information technology solutions provider Passenger, Transdev in the UK recently unveiled a handy new feature on its websites and mobile app to boost customer confidence as bus services return with the easing of lockdown restrictions on travel.
From today, customers planning to make a journey on Transdev’s buses across Yorkshire and Lancashire will be able to check on their local bus operator’s website – and also very soon on its ‘Transdev Go’ mobile app – to see how many people are already on board the bus they plan to use.
The technology is powered by customers themselves, who will be able to add information on whether their bus is becoming busy directly onto the new system, helping others to make informed choices before they travel.
Customers on the bus can also use the feature to indicate whether a wheelchair bay on a bus is free, with this information carrying through to the live bus tracking on the app. A major step for accessibility – this will mean passengers needing the wheelchair bay will be able to see if the bay is free of occupied on the bus approaching their stop.
Alex Hornby, CEO of Transdev Blazefield
The feature has been developed at pace by Passenger, working with Transdev’s six local bus companies to get it up and running in time for the introduction of more journeys and extra buses across most of its routes from this past Sunday.
Crowdsourcing relies on the power of the crowd to be effective – and if anyone knows how to get their crowd to help each other, Transdev do. The Transdev team are first class when it comes to communicating with their customers, and we wanted to really put this new system through its paces as quickly as possible to keep all essential journeys safe.
Tom Quay, Passenger CEO
The use of technology to deliver more information to customers is being backed by Government ministers.
It is crucial that we take advantage of the UK’s digital expertise. With the right mobile apps, people can find out which parts of the transport network are overcrowded.
Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary in the UK
Passenger is working with Transdev and other bus industry colleagues to access and use additional data from hardware on buses, including ticket machines. As this becomes available, the new system will blend it with anonymous data supplied by customers to make monitoring of available space on buses even more effective.
The new system is now in place on Transdev’s bus operator websites – go to https://www.transdevbus.co.uk and choose from its six local bus companies. It will also be made available shortly via the free-to-download ‘Transdev Go’ mobile app in the UK.