Topeka Metro has released a real-time bus tracker with the system DoubleMap, which uses GPS to track the location of buses in real time.
Passengers can track buses with internet or by downloading the app. By making this information available to passengers, Topeka Metro says it makes using the system easier and less confusing. It also will help to cut down on phone calls to Topeka Metro’s customer service, allowing representatives to assist with other issues.
Some of the features are:
- Choosing which routes you want to view;
- See the buses traveling in real time on a Google map;
- Locations of each bus stop;
- Save your favorite routes for easier access; and
- Rider alerts such as detours and delays.
General Manager Robert Nugent said, “We are excited introducing this technology to our community as it will allow for easy access to information about our service in real-time.”
Nugent said that following the DoubleMap implementation, Topeka Metro will follow up with another system that will allow passengers to get real-time information by texting a designation number.
“This is all about customer service and helping make our service more user-friendly by putting it in the hands of the passenger,” Nugent said. “It saves time and instills passenger confidence as to when they can catch their bus.”
The Kansas Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration funded the grant for the Wi-Fi and DoubleMap app project.
