Knowing when busses come and go will be easier in Campbell River with the launch of new location technology.
BC Transit has announced the arrival of NextRide in the city. It is an automatic vehicle location system that allows passengers to see real-time bus locations on routes and predicted arrival times.
The location data is provided to companies and apps like Transit App for passengers. In addition, streets and stops are announced while riding the bus which BC Transit says makes for a more comfortable ride.
NextRide is being installed across transit systems in B.C., and began with Cowichan Transit System in January. The project is being funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program with the federal government contributing 50 per cent, the province contributing 40 per cent and the rest from local government partners.
Sunshine Coast MP Patrick Weiler said the new system will improve the useability of transit.
“Expanding the NextRide program will improve the customer experience, increase safety for
riders and drivers, improve accessibility for users and provide important data for better route
planning that will benefit customers across the province,” said Weiler.
BC Transit said bus data will not be available for a few weeks on Google Maps. They say this is because “it takes several weeks for Google to start sharing this information.”
More information about the installation schedule can be found on the NextRide project page.
