Arriva blog: Embracing smart solutions that help build trust in public transport

Residents and visitors in Watford will see the real benefits of this partnership from this week. Users can now order an Arriva minibus from a smartphone with technology powered by ioki. The minibus will pick them up from their nearest virtual bus stop and take them to where they want to go within a defined catchment area. This added convenience helps to attract new users to public transport who might otherwise use their cars.

Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) is still at its infancy stage in the UK at the moment and is available on some Arriva bus services in Watford and in Leicestershire. However, DRT is one aspect of a wider trend towards digitalisation in the bus sector. On all Arriva bus services outside London, customers can now pay for their ticket in advance on an app or by using contactless payment. Whilst originally intended as a measure to make bus travel more convenient for customers, reducing the need for cash handling has also helped to make travelling by bus for essential journeys safer during the pandemic.

As we come out of the coronavirus lockdown, customers are going to be looking for reassurance that public transport operators are helping to protect their wellbeing and safety. Continuing the trend towards digitalisation, through effective partnerships like the one between Arriva and ioki, will help provide customers with greater confidence in how their journey will go, and therefore help build trust in using public transport in the future.