Many cities and towns have local bus service, but oftentimes this form of public transportation can be a hit or miss. The uncertainty of bus arrival times can make people late for work, medical appointments or personal errands. However, passengers in Toledo, Ohio can be more confident in their local bus service through the system's tracking system, according to the Toledo Free Press.
Before the launch of this comprehensive mobile application, SMS service and email program, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) utilized global positioning systems to track buses, but "now [TARTA is] providing real-time information, which is new," TARTA General Manager James Gee said during a press conference.
Since the program started in early September, about 300 of the most popular bus stops can provide up-to-date bus schedule information, TARTA hopes to integrate text alerts and mobile updates to all 2,400 bus stops in the near future.
"We are changing how customers interact with TARTA. All in all, we're not the same old TARTA," Gee added. "We'll be able to provide better information to you and, as a result, you the customer will be able to make better decisions on how to use our service."
Even though the program is not completely rolled out yet, commuters in the downtown Toledo area have given TARTA positive feedback on how effective the alerts are.
Local bus systems can truly benefit from an SMS service because users will be more confident in this form of transportation. Transportation companies that wish to implement a more efficient communication solution should consider a text messaging service from Swift SMS Gateway.
