Canada’s Transit App has launched in Kenya to help braing sanity to Nairobi traffic where bus timetables don’t exist.
Founded in 2012 by Guillaume Campagna and Samuel Dionne, Transit is a mobile alternative to paper timetables and signposts to help people see upcoming departures leveraging user’s location.
According to the founders, “Building more roads and adding more cars will not solve the transportation woes of the modern city. With 80% of the world’s population living in urban areas by 2030, only effective mass transit can move cities forward. We believe the smartphone is the foundation for urban mobility in the 21st century, and it will help define our urban future.”
The Canadian firm is live in Paris, New York, London and several other cities and aims to help Nairobi commuters to improve their trips using public transit data. The firm aims to work with a local transit agency and as well acquire their open data then design an app that’s specific to Kenya.
“Being headquartered in Montreal, we’re used to looking up a bus schedule and hopping on whatever ride comes in the right direction bearing the appropriate route number. If you live in the West, your experience is probably similar. But in Nairobi, things aren’t so straightforward. Commuters have to figure out everything for themselves,” the firm says.
Using Digital Matatu project data Transit App says it will be the first public transportation app to integrate Nairobi’s transit system in a move that will help commuters plan their commute earlier before they leave their homes.
The app will help users find “find which ride will get them to their destination at their own personal convenience. They can access a list of nearby routes — where to board, how frequently they arrive, and where they’ll stop.”
The app also has a trip planner to help commuters choose the most efficient routes than just boarding matatus out of need. The firm has designed the app to match Nairobi’s traffic needs plus schedules and regional color coding with stop locations, and route maps all offline . The app will in time offer real-time transit information.
