Passenger, creators of the highest-rated transport software in the UK is enhancing its support for bus operators as lockdown eases by offering its Premium customers free watch apps. The UK technology company is rolling out Android and iOS watch apps as part of its existing Premium packages – offering an average saving of £2,000 per year. 

Tom Quay, CEO at Passenger commented: “Many bus operators have had to fast-track their digital strategies over the past year to keep up with changing customer needs. Now more than ever, people want a quick, efficient, and safe travel option to get them from A to B – and unfortunately, many believe their car is the best option.

“We want to help bus operators inspire more people to opt for public transport, and a huge part of this is giving people quick and easy options for journey planning. That’s why we’re extending our Premium apps package license to include free watch apps, making it easy for users to plan their journeys on the move.”

Passenger’s free watch apps offer comes as the government’s National Bus Strategy powers through its first stage. By the end of this month, local transport authorities (LTAs) will need to commit to establishing Enhanced Partnerships across all areas, working with operators to create and deliver Bus Service Improvement plans unique to each area.

Tom Quay continued: “The National Bus Strategy is crucial for rebuilding confidence and increasing ridership in bus travel, presenting an opportunity to universally reform provisions and reclaim the roads. As an industry, as we drive this forwards, we’re continuing to work closely with bus operators to understand what they need to get customers back on board, and our latest watch app offer is one of various initiatives we’ve launched in response.”

Passenger’s Premium watch apps for Android and iOS allow users to:

• Find their closest stops 
• Look up departures from ‘favourite’ stops.
• Send departure boards to the watch from the app.
• View a step count/distance to bus stops
• Receive notifications when they approach their stop (currently iOS only)

Bus operators can visit https://www.discoverpassenger.com/passenger-premium/ to find out more about Passenger’s Premium package offering.