BC Bus North aids in BC Transit’s ridership enhancement

BC Transit is celebrating increases in ridership as they have released their annual report for 2018/19.

According to a release by the company, province-wide, BC Transit saw a six per cent increase in its ridership with 57 million annual passenger trips, which is the highest growth they’ve seen since 2008/09.

Jonathon Dyck, Communications Manager for BC Transit, told MyPGNow that the growth here in Prince George was even higher.

“The conventional fixed-route service in Prince George had 2-million passengers, and that was an 11 per cent increase year over year. Prince George was a part of that increase in ridership that we saw across the province.”

With the annual report reflecting the period up until March of this year, those numbers won’t even include the service expansion that transit in Prince George experienced earlier in the summer.

“When we see these numbers coming through and we see the increases in passengers across the provinces, it makes a case for expanding service,” said Dyck. “We know with the latest expansion in service in Prince George, it was a priority of the community.”

Transit services in northern BC were also enhanced in support of the Province’s efforts to enable residents of First Nations communities and local governments to travel safely in the region via the launch of BC Bus North.

In 2018/19, BC Transit placed a focus on improving the customer experience through technology including the rollout of its real-time bus location technology, NextRide, in six communities. The phone application allows customers to track their bus using their mobile devices.

“I think there’s a number of reasons why we’re seeing these increases in ridership. Part of that is our investment in technology. NextRide is out real-time information that we have in seven communities right now and will be rolling out to all of our conventional fixed-route systems in the near future. It’s something we’re working on. Another project that we’re working on is our advanced fare technology, and that looks at how you pay your fare whether that be from your smartphone, or directly paying with your credit or debit card when you board the bus. Anytime you have services expansion it helps with ridership because when you have service expansion and changes in that manner, it encourages more people to take the bus.”

Additional accomplishments that the company celebrated with their annual report was 600 buses across the province being equipt with closed-circuit televisions, as well as 23 service expansions in 17 transit systems, along with implementing 69 service changes.