BC Transit is moving forward with NextRide program this spring in Vernon

Photo: Contributed

BC Transit has negotiated a deal for the next phase of the NextRide program.

Transit has signed a contract with Consat that will enhance customer experience and increase ridership throughout the province.

The Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology will be installed in communities and regional transit systems across the province on approximately 315 buses operating on all conventional, fixed routes in British Columbia.

NextRide technology will be installed across transit systems throughout British Columbia starting this month in the Cowichan Transit System.

The program will arrive in Vernon in the spring.

NextRide will continue to use AVL technology to allow even more customers to see real-time bus locations along routes and identify what predicted arrival times are at any selected stop.

Onboard, automated stop announcements call out stops to customers riding the bus, which increases comfort and convenience, while also improves the overall accessibility for many using transit.

Through BC Transit, it will provide bus location data to mobility providers like Google Maps and partner Transit App, so customers across the province can track and monitor bus routes using their application of choice.

The NextRide project is funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This project is being cost shared with the Government of Canada contributing 50 per cent, the Province of British Columbia contributing 40 per cent and local government partners contributing the remaining 10 per cent.

The project cost for NextRide being installed in these additional transit systems is nearly $6 million.