Southern Vectis has revolutionised the way in which bus passengers can plan journeys and buy tickets for its services across the Isle of Wight.
The local operator has unveiled a new app, offering customers the chance to tailor their travel plans, track their intended bus in real time and buy their tickets instantly.
Andrew Wickham, Managing Director of Southern Vectis, has said:
“Apps are not a new thing, we were one of the first operators to introduce one several years ago. But this is very different – a much improved concept in bus travel and ticketing.
“The technology we’ve harnessed is so powerful that those travelling with us can completely personalise their app. That means they can save their regular journeys, choose how their home screen opens, mark bus stops or routes as their favourites, track exactly where their bus is at any given time and, of course, buy their tickets instantly. When planning a new journey they can even see how much Co2 they are saving, compared to driving.
“Not only this, but we have updated our website to complement what the app can do. Those who have personalised their app will find all their information saved at islandbuses.info whenever they log in. It works brilliantly in tandem.”
The new bus travel software is powered by leading public transport app and website provider, Passenger.
Andrew adds:
“We’re thrilled by what this new technology can do. Our team has worked very closely with Passenger, to ensure our customers have everything they could possibly need for planning and paying for journeys, right at their fingertips.
“Now that the island is emerging from lockdown, we are welcoming many more people on-board – from commuters and those living in the area, to those enjoying a ‘staycation’. We invested in this new technology because we expect many people to benefit from an all-encompassing app as we look towards a bright new future in sustainable transport.
“Digital ticketing helps our passengers and drivers socially distance too – without the need to handle change. Gone are the days of hunting for the right change on a bus, or remembering to put your paper ticket in a safe place. This tool is just one step in delivering industry-leading solutions to passengers.”
Tom Quay, CEO of Passenger, said:
“As advocates for shared sustainable transport, Passenger are thrilled to see operators choosing to invest now in digital technology to be ready to start welcoming customers back to the bus. Southern Vectis is constantly ahead of the game – ready to innovate and always put their customers first.”
The new app is available to download on iOS or Android devices.
Really, are people so unable to work out a journey here on the Isle of Wight. Oh yes of course this is aimed at the holibobs. Most islanders know which bus to get on usually.
Well aren’t you the clever one – not all islanders know where the routes go and at what times!
Why not the island is small, and not that complex to work out is it??
So, a fairly hum drum nothing new here app. So what? I would rather the money being spent on this being used to reduce fares which in one simple sweep would increase bust ravel across the island.
The real time bus map is very helpful, nothing worse than just missing the bus not knowing.
Wouldn’t it have been better to reduce fares?