Haddington bus firm launches social distancing app
The myTrip app was launched on all Prentice of Haddington routes on Wednesday October 7.
It has been developed with UK technology firm Passenger by Prentice of Haddington and two other Scottish operators, McColls Travel and Garelochhead Coaches.
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Hide AdThe app, available for iOS and Android, features live information on bus passenger levels to help customers predict the ease of social distancing at particular times.
It also allows purchase of tickets with cashless options, and gives real-time information on bus locations in a bid to minimise time spent waiting in queues.
Ross Prentice, Managing Director of Prentice of Haddington, said: “We’re pleased to be bringing myTrip’s extensive functionality to local bus users. We want to offer all our customers the peace of mind that our buses are clean, safe and allow for sufficient social distancing. myTrip allows us to do this easily while improving customer experience, with the ability to buy tickets online, too.
“We hope that myTrip will aid confidence in bus travel around the area and encourage passengers to return to public transport, knowing that we have invested in every measure possible to safeguard their safety.”
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Hide AdTom Quay, CEO at Passenger, said: “With almost a third of the adult population without regular access to a car, public transport is essential for work, education and independence. Finding ways to safely return to normality as we learn to live with COVID-19 is a big task for public transport operators and will impact on how quickly the economy recovers.
“Knowing how crucial public transport is to the economy and how important safety is to public transport users, we quickly began developing the app during lockdown.
"Our ambition is to provide bus users with a simple way to access safety advice and capacity information for the buses they want to catch, restoring confidence in public transport, particularly as we head into an uncertain winter. We hope that our new platform will empower the public to get back on buses, armed with trustworthy and reliable information that they will have a safe journey from A to B.”