It has now been more than a week since the new on-demand bus service was fully launched. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who are using it and share with you some summary information and analysis so far.
Data-based approach
We are pleased to inform you that over 2,200 community members now have an on-demand bus account. So far, the on-demand service has completed 7,500 rides with an average trip duration of around 7 minutes.
Although we have had mixed feedback with regards to waiting times, service timing, and service availability, we continue to be confident that the on-demand bus is a good fit for our community’s transportation needs. This is supported by a rider satisfaction score of 4.7 out of 5.
Actions taken
We are continuing to analyze the app data and your feedback to make adjustments to improve the service provided. For example:
- Reduction of ‘average pickup time’ over the past week; this went down from nearly 11 minutes on day 1 to just over 7 minutes on Sunday. We expect these numbers to continue to improve as we adapt to the community use of these buses.
- Re-introduction of color-coded bus schedule; every 15 minutes from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. to support the demand during the peak hours – (effective on Thursday, February 13, 2020)
Get the most out of the on-demand app
As a user, you can also do your part to get the most out of this service. Below are a few hints and tips to consider:
- Book a little ahead of time. For example, if you want a bus to pick you up as close to 5:10 p.m. as possible, don’t wait until 5:10 p.m. to make you request – start making your request at 5:00 p.m.
- To help reduce the number of ‘no-shows’ which ultimately impacts other riders, please use this service in conjunction with the scheduled timetable; i.e. don’t make a request for an on-demand service if you then ultimately use the next scheduled bus that comes along.
- Remember you can book for multiple passengers – and you don’t even need to be one of them; i.e. You can book a ride for a family member without joining them on the bus.
- A smartphone is not required to book a trip with the on-demand bus; you can call the Saptco helpdesk for booking assistance at 012-808-5222. Calls can also be made from home phones or phones in recreation centers.
Tell us how we can improve
Please take a minute to review the new on-demand bus service. During this short survey we would like to gather the community’s feedback on their experiences and any ideas/suggestions on how we can keep improving.
Regards,
Nabeel Masoudi
Interim Community Services & Engagement Director
7 comments
Great, I am happy to see the color-coded buses during the evening time!
There might be the color-coded buses required between 12:00 AM and 1:00 AM for the community members from Jeddah.
Thank you for reintroducing the color-coded buses every 15 min from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. I think the on demand buses will improve efficiency outside of peak hours and simplify travel to many destinations. Thank you for this innovative solution, the well organized deployment and the responsive adjustments.
It would be nice to include gate 3 on the map. there are many deliveries arrive there and I have to find someone with car to go and pick it up
To be honest, I had never used on demand buses yet. However, it annoys me when I see big 30 passengers buses have only 1-4 inside.
My suggestion is to have smaller vehicles (MPVs?) instead of these big busses. This will reduce fuel consumptions, CO2 emissions and pollution that we have from these buses.
By this, we will finally get rid of the noisy buses breaks on each STOP signs.. 🙂
Hello,
I am yet to use it personally but I think it is a great initiative.
Hi all – Thank you so much for your feedback regarding the On-demand Bus service. Please take a moment to share your feedback via this online survey: https://clfeedback1.typeform.com/to/oJ5r0d