The London Transit Commission has come forward with their 2016 report. In their presentation to the Civic Works Committee, they revealed that in 2016, the LTC provided 22.9 million rides to customers. Despite that high number,they’re still trying to create a sense of consistent ridership.
LTC’s chair of commissioners, Sheryl Rooth , says “creating consistent ridership is more than servicing one particular demographic. It’s about providing a positive customer experience for everyone who chooses public transit. From direct travel like our express routes to passenger comfort and accessibility; as we move forward we are addressing these issues on both our conventional and specialized services.”
From a conventional standpoint, the LTC are working away at trying to get Smart Cards into the hands of Londoners. The card would allow passengers a quick bus fare payment by tapping it on a monitor as they get on. Over the past two years, both Fanshawe and Western students have been able to use their student cards to cover their bus fare. While it is a separate entity from the Smart Card it it similar in concept.
The LTC’s general manager, Kelly Paleczny, says that they “… are probably more than a year behind where we’d like to be in respect to the Smart Card project. We’ve had a number of frustrating years trying to get the system rolled out.”
They have been working through technological troubles, and are now working with a system that will make their web portal and online transactions more reliable. Paleczny says that they are waiting for a software update, expected to come next week, that will allow them to resolve outstanding issues and move forward with the last steps of the project.
They revealed that the 5 year service plan is currently in it’s hybrid stage. Paleczny says that last week they entered their third year of the project; where they have extended service during weekdays, added a significant amount of weekend service and increased the frequency of their express routes.
In their presentation to council, Paleczny says that they have received a 15% increase in regisetrance for specialized transit. She says that they have been working on a new scheduling system that integrates conventional transit with specialized. There are two options with this system, where if a caller is looking for a ride and is close to a conventional bus stop, they will be able to get on there or specialized transit can help by picking the passenger up at their door and potentially take them to a terminal to complete their trip.
Last year, the LTC launched the voice of the customer, a program that has allowed them the ability to make necessary changes in order to make their customer’s experience a positive one.
Picture courtesy of Flickr.
