What you need to know
- The Moovit app can now tell you how crowded buses are in real-time.
- Users can now check to see if a bus is wheelchair accessible.
- These new features are rolling out to users around the world today.
Much of the world is still dealing with the impact of the pandemic, and life has yet to get back to normal for the majority of people. Even so, public transportation is still a staple in many places and plenty of people still rely on it whether it's for work or other reasons. That's why Moovit's latest update is so important, as it brings a number of helpful features that focus on accessibility and keeping you safe.
The first is the ability to know just how crowded a bus is in real-time. Intel-owned Moovit, which serves over 950 million people worldwide, partnered with more than 65 transit agencies across the US, Canada, Australia, Italy, and Singapore to give users peace of mind during a time when it's important to keep one's distance. Yovav Meydad, Moovit's Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, highlights this growing anxiety for transit-goers when making their daily commutes.
Knowing in advance if there will be a seat on the bus gives riders the knowledge they need to make decisions that they are comfortable with when riding mass transit. This feature is also useful for parents with strollers who may need a place to sit, during or after the pandemic.
According to data collected in Moovit's 2020 Global Public Transit Report, having access to this information was important to as many as 33% of public transit riders across 104 cities in 28 countries. Now, when mapping your trip with supported transit agencies like the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, the app will display "Available Seats", "Standing Room Only", or "Crowded", and Moovit encourages more agencies to work with them to expand support.
Source: Moovit
The next update to the app brings expanded focus to Moovit's accessibility efforts, which already includes TalkBack/VoiceOver capabilities and listing wheelchair accessible stations. Now users with disabilities can check to see which buses are wheelchair accessible, making their commute much easier to plan for. The app will display a redesigned wheelchair symbol for accessible buses on supported transit agencies.
Having one app that shows wheelchair accessible lines, routes, and stations can be life-changing for wheelchair users. A vehicle that is not accessible could make getting around impossible, but a single app that makes journey-planning more streamlined and simple can open up new opportunities for them.
Moovit states that transit agencies in Hong Kong, China; Curitiba, Brazil; and Guayaquil, Ecuador are working to provide this information for Moovit users.
These new features are being made available for users as of today on Moovit's Android and iOS apps and are even available on the best cheap Android phones, so you can have more peace of mind when you make your daily commute.
Trusted by so many around the world.
Moovit is the ultimate mobility app for urban living, working with transit agencies around the world to streamline your commute. With the Moovit app, you can check real-time arrivals, purchase digital transit passes, get alerts that could cause delays in your commute, and even view which buses are wheelchair-accessible. Moovit can even tell you how crowded a bus is in real-time, allowing you to safely plan your commute.
