The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and several private bus companies launched the pilot version of the BusPlus program Monday, which includes a number of improvements to increase intercity and commuter transportation options.
The BusPlus program will make transportation easier with the use of a mobile app for purchasing and storing tickets, according to a Thursday press release. MassDOT developed the program with Bytemark, a U.S.-based mobile ticketing platform. Riders can use the app by simply showing their phone screen to the bus driver or scanning a barcode on their phone.
“This will be the first smart phone app in the country in which tickets can be purchased from several different intercity and commuter private bus operators. This is a big win for customers traveling to, from and within the commonwealth,” said MassDOT spokeswoman Amanda Richard in an email.
Bus operators participating in the pilot program are Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Co., DATTCO, Coach Company, Bloom’s Bus Lines, Boston Express and Yankee Line, according to a Jan. 22 article on the MassDOT website.
Richard said MassDOT funded the cost of app development. Private bus operators will then pay a per-ticket transaction fee that will go toward maintaining the app.
In addition to the app, MassDOT is outfitting new buses for the bus companies in exchange for additional service. The buses are “state-of-the-art,” with newly designed interiors, Richard said.
Additional services outlined in the program include soon-to-be released New England-wide intercity transportation maps and newly launched subsidized intercity and commuter bus service.
“All of these elements combined make this unique public/private partnership a major win for the traveling public across the region and is the only intercity and commuter bus program in the country which focuses on all aspects of improved customer experience,” Richard said.
Mike Costa, Yankee Line spokesman, said they hope the online ticketing program will provide more options for riders and “change the mentality of people.”
“The new BusPlus program, for the Commonwealth, has secured luxury coaches for this service. They include Wi-Fi connectivity and extra leg-room, so it’s more comfortable. It’s more of an office environment where you can actually be productive,” he said. “It’s a more luxurious option, and we’re really excited about it.”
The price of tickets has not changed and will continue to be in line with commuter rail rates, Costa said. For Yankee Line specifically, it is more cost effective to travel more, as multi-ride tickets can be discounted.
“We’re trying to get people to shift their commuting habits. This might actually sway people to commute by coach,” Costa said. “This is just another option out there available to people in the Commonwealth to get people off the road and on boarding coaches.”
Several residents said that Massachusetts transportation is efficient, but it could be better.
Emma Gimlich, 21, of Allston, said she doesn’t take the bus often, but when she does. it’s often crowded and could use an improvement.
“The bus is always crowded, and it’s fine on the off hours, but when you actually need it during rush hour, I feel like it’s always packed,” she said.
Ramya Ramadurai, 21, of Allston, said that transportation in Massachusetts is sometimes difficult to navigate and the app will facilitate travel.
“It will give people an opportunity to see other parts that they haven’t seen because Boston is such an amazing place and so is Massachusetts in general,” she said. “And it’s also really hard to get from the suburbs to Boston, like specific suburbs in Western Mass.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story wrote that Bytemark is UK-based. This story has been updated to reflect this change.
