Edmonton announced that it had found two providers for an on-demand bus service set to launch in 2021.
The Edmonton Transit Service has picked Pacific Western Transportation (PWT), a shuttle service, and Via, a company that designs ride-based apps and systems, to launch a shuttle bus program that connects residents in some neighbourhoods to transit hubs.
The city council voted to test the service and have it run as a two-year pilot project beginning mid-2021.
There’ll be a total of 57 PWT shuttle busses in the on-demand network during the pilot. These shuttle buses will not follow a fixed route, but they will pick up residents by request in certain communities that the city has pre-selected.
Edmonton has chosen eight new and 22 established neighbourhoods to run the pilot. Reportedly, an older community was chosen because more than 20 percent of the population has to walk more than 600m to the nearest bus stop.
Additionally, 18 seniors’ residences will also be able to use the on-demand service.
“As Edmonton continues to grow and evolve, we are looking for creative transportation solutions to keep our residents connected,” Eddie Robar, branch manager of Edmonton Transit Service, said in a Wednesday news release.
Those in Edmonton who want to use the service will need to book through the Via-run app or the company’s website, and it can pick up users “from designated stops in their neighbourhood to nearby transit hubs.” While the pilot is going on, the service will be free of charge.
You can check out the full list of communities and senior homes that are included in the project, here.
Source: City of Edmonton, Via: Global News
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