No. H057/11
For release - July 7, 2011
SAINT JOHN, N.B. — Rodney Weston, Member of Parliament for Saint John; Glen Tait, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saint John East, on behalf of the Honourable Claude Williams, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure; and His Worship Ivan Court, mayor of Saint John, today launched a global positioning system (GPS) for buses in Saint John. The vehicle tracking technology, known as “NextBus,” has been added to Saint John Transit’s fleet. The NextBus system lets passengers know when the next bus will arrive at any given bus stop through the Web, mobile devices and signs at key locations. This will reduce wait times and the need for printed schedules for transit riders.
“The Government of Canada is proud to invest in modern technologies that are both efficient and environmentally responsible,” said MP Weston. “NextBus will improve transportation for Saint John residents.”
“It is encouraging to see our city make an investment in this kind of technology,” said MLA Tait. “If we can make the travel experience more convenient and appealing, we will see an increase in ridership that will have a positive effect on our transportation system and the environment.”
“NextBus is a vehicle tracking system that uses global positioning satellite information. It will provide our customers with real-time transit information when and where riders need it. The system will pin point any given stop, thereby eliminating wait times and the need for schedules for all transit riders,” said Mayor Court.
NextBus has been added to Saint John Transit’s entire fleet of 60 buses. This $280,000 project is entirely funded through funds allocated to the province by the federal Public Transit Capital Trust 2008.
Commission Chair Chris Titus noted, “The investment made by the Government of Canada is extremely important and will enhance the customers’ experience. Saint John Transit is committed to being the key supplier of alternative transportation for the region and the GPS NextBus system will make using transit easier for all customers.”
The Saint John Transit Commission was established in 1979 to provide scheduled transit service to the city. It is the largest public transit system in New Brunswick in terms of both mileage and passengers.
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