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AUGUST 22, 2018 | Volume 31 No. 67
30 CENTS AT NEWSSTANDS
WEDNESDAY SMOKED OUT
While the skies above Kamloops cleared up a bit on Monday and Tuesday, the thick smoke from wildfires in B.C. may return later this week. The dense smoke on the weekend led to numerous cancellations or postponements of events in the city.
TODAY’S WEATHER
NEWS/A4 & A5
Smoky, hot High 31 C Low 13 C
Knowing where your bus is — to the minute The Next Ride transit app was rolled out in Kamloops on Tuesday. It allows transit users to find out exactly where their bus is and plan accordingly. DAVE EAGLES/KTW
JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
Kamloops transit users will no longer be left waiting for an unknown time outside in subzero temperatures. They won’t be left wondering where their ride is when a bus is running late. “It’s going to take the ambiguity out of their trip planning,” BC Transit acting vice-president of business development Christy Ridout said on Tuesday during a press conference at the Lansdowne transit exchange. New technology on buses in the River City gives transit users the ability to track their ride via smartphone or computer. NextRide uses automatic-vehicle location technology to give transit users the ability to track the location of a bus and predict arrival time at any given stop. “They’re going to have a much better idea,” Ridout said. “They can take a look at the app, their smartphone and see exactly where their bus is while it’s on route and make a decision as to whether they need to leave right now, do you have five more minutes around the house to finish up what I was doing or can I jump into that coffee shop and get myself a cup of coffee to start the day right?” It’s music to the ears of Kamloops transit users. Mark Daily and his fiancée take the bus every day as their only method of transportation.
They’ve spent plenty of time waiting while commuting between North Kamloops and downtown. “It’s never on time, that’s the main problem,” Daily said. Another passenger told KTW she misses the bus every three weeks due to not knowing whether a bus will be on time. The
tech-savvy youngster is thrilled with the idea of being able to pull out her smartphone to solve that problem. Transit users will also notice accessibility upgrades aboard buses. Stops will now be announced and displayed on LED boards. Bus drivers will also be able to
communicate directly with dispatchers about road issues such as construction, congestion or accidents to notify transit users about impacts. “It means dispatch can get information to our customers faster through customer alerts, information on our website and through the app itself,”
Ridout said. NextRide technology is rolling out in seven communities across the province as part of a $6.74-million system funded by the federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. Mayor Ken Christian said 3.5-million rides are provided in Kamloops annually. “That’s amazing in a town this size,” he said. He credited the federal government, province, city staff and Coun. Donovan Cavers, who championed the technology. “It’s the next stage of public transportation and it’s going to lead to new riders in our community and others,” Christian said. Ridout said NextRide is one more tool in a move to modernize public transportation in the province. It is also rolling out automatic passenger sensors to track when and where people are getting on and off the bus. “This actually provides us at BC Transit with invaluable information to help with those evidence-based decisions that help us decide where those routes should go and whether the service levels are meeting customer demand,” Ridout said. NextRide data will also be open to third-party developers and applications.
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