An innovative partnership between JustGo North Lincs and ride-sharing platform Liftango looks set to transform public transport for rural communities in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, delivering convenient, affordable public transport on demand to rural residents.
The new technology will change the landscape for UK rural transport by providing improved access and allowing rural residents to book public transport at a time and place that is most convenient to their own schedule.
JustGo North Lincs is a partnership between East Yorkshire Buses, North Lincolnshire Council and Liftango and forms part of a three-year, £9m commitment by the North Lincolnshire Council.
The newly launched service is based on Innovative transport technology that uses a powerful algorithm to optimise the scheduling and routing of vehicles to passengers and is now available throughout the North Lincolnshire Unitary Authority Area.
Next-generation demand-responsive transport technology is already improving the long-term feasibility of rural transport for fleet operators and transit agencies with an efficient way to service low-density and sparsely populated areas, and will now enable members of rural communities to access on-demand public transport through a smartphone app or call centre, where passengers can make last-minute or advanced bookings.
CEO of Liftango, Kevin Orr said they were excited to see technology come to the aid of rural communities to improve their daily lives.
“This partnership will bring demand-responsive transport tech to rural communities and show that better access to affordable and equitable transport is within reach,” he said, “Using a demand-responsive transport platform to power the scheduling and routing of vehicles means that fleet operators can provide greater coverage, extend service hours and connect more passengers to amenities such as medical appointments, retail locations and employment opportunities.”
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council said that rural buses were an essential part of people’s lives, providing a lifeline which connects them to friends, family, shopping and healthcare services as well as community facilities, events and activities.
“We’re investing £9m across three years to keep people connected across North Lincolnshire and this latest innovation, developed in partnership with East Yorkshire Buses and global technology firm Liftango, will revolutionise rural bus services,” he explained.
By encouraging more shared journeys the system also provides a sustainable mode of transportation and reduces the environmental impacts of individual car use.
“Demand responsive transport is new to us at East Yorkshire but, by using our expertise from across the Go-Ahead Group, and working with Liftango and North Lincolnshire Council, we are enabling journeys to be made between communities which were previously not possible,” commented Ben Gilligan, Area Director at East Yorkshire, “Liftango have worked with us since day one to develop the technology to meet the needs of the people of North Lincolnshire and we are delighted to be launching this high-tech solution to public transport.”
