City looks to ease on-demand transit service

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This article was published 18/07/2022 (1316 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon Transit is preparing to change service providers for its on-demand transit system next month based on feedback from riders.

Last November, Brandon Transit launched a new service for evenings and weekends where, instead of running buses on fixed routes, fewer buses would serve passengers who booked trips through a website or smartphone app.

Initially, the pilot project used Rogers cell service and a service provider named Blaise Transit. The Sun contacted Blaise but didn’t receive a response by press time.

As of Aug. 8, the city is changing to another provider called Pantonium, with bookings through Blaise ending Aug. 6.

The Toronto-based company’s website says communities like Regina, Saskatoon and Sioux Falls, S.D., have on-demand transit services using its platform.

According to Carla Richardson, the city’s director of transportation, the change was motivated by rider feedback, including input collected from a recent survey.

“That’s one of the best things about using a pilot,” Richardson said. “You’re able to look around and see what’s working. We didn’t know a lot about on-demand systems until we started running it. We did a customer survey as well as a survey of all of our staff, and we’ve been listening to their feedback along the way.”

One of the biggest issues raised, she said, was how pickup and drop-off points were handled. Under Blaise, a rider would enter a starting point and an end point, and the service’s algorithm would determine where and when they would be picked up and dropped off.

Because these points could be anywhere in the city, it would sometimes require riders to walk lengthy distances at the beginning or end of their trips.

Under the new system, riders will be able to specify the bus stop where they want to be picked up and the bus stop where they want to be dropped off.

Another challenge riders raised involved difficulties with booking trips in advance, which Richardson said will be easier under Pantonium. Trips will also be able to be booked further in advance and anyone will be able to book trips on behalf of someone else.

The app — On Demand Transit: Rider App — is already available on the Apple and Android app stores.

Riders in Brandon will be able to book trips through that app as early as Friday by using the code “Brandon” when logging in. Rides can be booked at brandontransitondemand.ca or by calling 204-729-2300, as well.

There was also an adjustment for staff. To accommodate the on-demand system, drivers switched from set routes to changing routes, as well as following directions on an iPad.

“We underestimated the learning curve that it would be for our riders,” Richardson said. “It was very, very difficult that month of November. Very difficult on the ridership, on our staff. We got a lot of complaints, a lot of upset people because they didn’t understand the technology. You’ve got riders with either cognitive disabilities or barriers, you’ve got English as a second language riders, and we underestimated that.”

To improve the resources available to riders, the city is starting to place ambassadors on buses who will help explain the on-demand system, assist with booking trips and provide lessons on how to use the app.

With approximately six months left in the pilot project, she said she believes there’s still time for Brandon Transit to work out remaining kinks and for riders to provide feedback on the service.

There have been benefits to the on-demand service, however. Richardson said there were parts of the city, especially in the east end industrial areas, that received service after not being visited by the fixed routes.

When the service was launched, part of the hope was that it might attract new riders and provide efficiencies by not operating routes that weren’t being used by riders.

However, those figures are still being worked out as the pilot project continues.

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