SMART buses riders have launched a mobile app that is set to revolutionize the way we catch buses. The bus company based in Detroit launched the app in a bid to make tracking of buses easier. The app will also offer service alerts and has a trip planner among other features on smartphones. The app christened as the RideSMART app can be downloaded from App Store or Google Play.
According to John Hertel, the company’s general manager, the new app will help the rider get the information they require whenever they need it, thus reduce the time they have to wait at the bus stop. The company is urging riders who have not used the app in the past to give it a try.
Before launching the app to the public, SMART had earlier unveiled it on their website, smartbus.org. The bus tracker which makes use of the global positioning system (GPS) to provide real time versus scheduled time of arrival of the bus says the app was developed through a fund that was partially federally funded through a $ 7 million radio system for the bus system.
The RideSMART app was designed in such a way that it can be synchronized with the rider’s personal MySMART profile to give him or her access to their most preferred routes and stops. The rider will be notified of any service changes for their favorite routes in advance, thus the rider can be assured that they will have access to the information they need even before they set out on the trip. This was according to the press release from the company. In addition, the app will provide a list of all the routes and can even help the user locate the nearest bus stop.
The RideSMART app is yet another app that is geared towards to helping the customer’s transit from one point to the other easily. The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority provides an app that operates on the same basis as the RideSMART on their website, theride.org. The Detroit Department of Transport has also launched its own mobile app, the DDOTBusApp. The service was launched earlier this year and is available for free for smartphones. With the advent of technology, the number of mobile apps aimed at making transport easier on the rise. The RideSMART is just the beginning of many more apps to come in the future which certainly good news for travelers.