Proposed mobile app may improve local public transport service

A mobile phone application (app) has been proposed for the public transport system, which should see the public receiving improved service.

As he addressed the launch of a mobile app on March 30, executive director of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SVGCIC) Anthony Regisford said the local public transport system needs improving and regulating.

“There is a need to regulate the minivan system and drivers, as it is too important a sector to run unregulated,” he said.

The SVGCIC head said at present, the minivan service in the country is unsafe, uncomfortable and unreliable at times and it is high time government play a part in regulating the vans.

He then proposed a mobile phone app which could help to bring about improvement.

Regisford suggested the development of a mobile application that works with a Global Positioning System (GPS) that tells consumers where the passenger vans are on their route and which would also have a feature that would allow passengers to give their feedback on their experience when using the service offered by the van they took to reach their destination.

“These are useful things. I don’t know how the person building the app is going to get paid, but this is useful and taking us into the 21st century,” said Regisford, who stressed that this app could be one way of using technology to deal with the issues we have with public transport.