Oxfordshire County Council is using technology from start-up Zipabout to help manage demand on its bus network as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions continue to be eased.
Zipabout’s Passenger Connect service will deliver personalised journey updates for bus passengers on how disruption and crowding may affect their travel, as well as providing alternative options.
Passenger Connect also identifies key workers and essential journeys to help transport operators and local authorities plan timetables.
This is the first time Zipabout’s Passenger Connect service has been used on UK buses.
It has been piloted by several train operators and the National Rail Enquiries service over the last 18 months and plans are being developed to extend the service to incorporate tram and metro networks across other regions in the UK, Zipabout said.
The project has been funded by a grant of almost £50,000 from Innovate UK, the national research and innovation agency, and will be delivered in collaboration with Oxontime, a bus information service run by independent bus operators and Oxfordshire County Council.
Passengers will be able to access the service through the existing Oxontime website or via Facebook Messenger directly in the coming weeks.
According to Zipabout, Passenger Connect learns about travellers’ preferences and only sends journey updates that will affect them.
Cllr Yvonne Constance, cabinet member for environment at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to lead the way in the next level of personalised messaging to bus users.
“The service has been successfully applied on trains and this next step will open up the benefits to many more users and hopefully be a key tool to enabling people to use buses safely through the next phases in the Covid-19 response.”
Constance added that she hoped the project could provide a “benchmark” for the rest of the UK.
The service is currently in testing and should be available to passengers across Oxfordshire from early July.
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