Anyone who uses public transit is familiar with the painful ordeal of being just a few seconds too late to catch the bus.
Or the bus arriving a minute too early. Or a bus that drives by because it’s packed full of people and there’s no more room. Either way, it’s an inconvenience that may soon be done away with.
BC Transit has just announced its intention to implement real time bus locator technology that will allow commuters to track their buses and be able to catch them right on time.
The technology is called NextRide and uses Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) software to send tracking data to mobile devices and desktops that use the app.
“These service upgrades will be hugely helpful for people who already ride the bus, and a great incentive for more people to start,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “We are committed to making BC Transit service more convenient and accessible, and I expect transit users will be thrilled with these improvements.”
Nanaimo will be the first region to see this new upgrade take effect starting May 2018. It will be coming to Victoria by winter 2018-19.
Here’s the schedule of when NextRide will be rolling into communities across BC:
- Nanaimo May 2018
- Comox Valley June 2018
- Squamish Summer 2018
- Whistler Summer 2018
- Kamloops Fall 2018
- Kelowna Fall 2018
- Victoria Winter 2018/2019
