City launches live bus tracking system
Changes to Saskatoon Transit’s website — especially a new real-time GPS bus tracking system — could convince more people to get on the bus, a transit advocacy spokesman says.
The long-awaited realtime tracking tool is the most noteworthy enhancement of Saskatoon Transit’s new web presence, which launched Thursday and will focus on access by mobile devices after bus riders told city officials that’s what they wanted.
About 85 per cent of the city’s buses are equipped with Internet-enabled GPS tracking units; the remainder are old buses that would require major rewiring to include them. As older buses are retired, they will be replaced with buses that are Internet equipped.
“So far, it seems like a good step,” said Cameron McMillan, spokesman for Bus Riders of Saskatoon. “It does seem a lot easier to navigate than the (old) City of Saskatoon website.
“Naturally, there are a few bugs at this time, but they’ll work those out over time.”
McMillan said a few of the maps need updating, but overall he thinks the improved website could convince more people to choose public transit.
Icons on the real-time tracking map show the location of the bus on a given route and are coded by different colours that show whether the bus is early, late or on time.
Transit users can enter their bus stop number or follow a given bus route.
“It is a new tool for us and there is going to be a learning process,” Saskatoon Transit marketing manager Alysha Hille said.
“We really welcome feedback from everybody and let us know how we can make it better.”
Transit users waiting for buses downtown in Thursday’s frigid temperatures, which hit -38 C with the wind chill, welcomed the new tracking technology.
“I’ve been outside waiting for like 10 to 15 minutes the last couple mornings and its been a bit chilly, so that’d be super useful if I knew I could leave my house a little bit later than usual,” said University of Saskatchewan student Sabrina Materie.
Fellow U of S student Michelle Manabat said she will definitely take advantage of the opportunity to better predict buses’ arrivals.
“Especially in a cold place like this, it’s nice to see how much longer we’ll be waiting for the bus,” Manabat said.
“Sometimes they’re really late; sometimes they’re pretty early, too.”
The new website at saskatoontransit.ca also has improved trip-planning tools, according to McMillan, who tried entering a few routes Thursday.
“This allows customers to find the information they need quickly and easily,” Hille said.
The transit department also launched a new Twitter account on Thursday, @stoontransit, which is dedicated to providing information about transit service.