Buses World News: * Against the "BUS BUNCHING" - USA: In Houston, Texas: ** Too, PAYING FARES with Smartphone

* Texas - Metro tries a High-Tech Way to keep buses running on time

-- “Bus Bunching” is a common complaint for many transit riders. That’s when buses get off-schedule and follow each other on the same route... A bus in Houston can easily get stopped at a railroad crossing or maybe it loses time because of detours. Then you have a situation where the next bus is following directly behind it... To keep buses evenly spaced, Metro’s Tom Lambert says they’re now trying computer-aided dispatch. They’re doing it at Houston Transtar, the region’s traffic control center... They’re now using the computer dispatch system on Houston’s busiest route. That’s the 82 Westheimer, which has buses running every six minutes during peak periods... After testing the system on Westheimer, Lambert says they’ll look to expand to all the city’s high-frequency routes...
(Photo by Michael Hagerty - Houston Public Media: Metro bus in downtown Houston) -- Houston, TXS, USA - Houston Pubic M3edia, by GAIL DELAUGHTER - JANUARY 28, 2016

* Texas - Houston transit riders could soon have a new option for paying their fare

-- Metro is currently testing a mobile ticketing app that would allow riders to purchase single fare tickets and day passes... Metro has enlisted volunteers to test a new mobile ticketing app... If you’re a regular transit rider, you’ve probably found yourself in a situation where just can’t scrape up that last nickel. Or maybe you’ve forgotten your Q-Card... But what if you could pay for all your transit trips by smartphone? ... They’re already doing it in Austin and Dallas. Now Houston riders could soon enjoy the same convenience...
(Photo by Gail Delaughter/Houston Public Media - Metro could soon let riders pay by Smartphone) -- Houston, TXS, USA - Houston Public Media - 18 Jan 2016

Labels: passenger's complain, passengers transports industry