Today sees the simultaneous launch of Beryl Bikes and Bay locations in the websites of all local bus companies: Morebus, Unibus and Yellow Buses. Yellow Buses also sees the locations made available in its smartphone app.
Beryl Bikes and bays are shown in the Yellow Buses app (left) and Morebus website (right), alongside bus stops.
The project, endorsed by BCP Councillors Andy Hadley (Transport portfolio holder) and Dr Felicity Rice (Environment portfolio holder), is an important step in making it easier for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole residents to easily understand the travel options available to them that don’t require a car.
Councillor Hadley comments, “As a major urban area we know we have huge congestion challenges, and limited space to build new capacity. We want to make alternative travel options more integrated and in doing so, set an example of what collaboration can achieve. If we are to address our climate emergency we must work together to make it easy to leave the car at home, especially for shorter journeys.”
The project includes several organisations working together towards a more sustainable transport network in the South East Dorset city region; BCP Council, Passenger, Beryl, Morebus (part of the Go-Ahead Group) and Yellow Buses.
When people travel more actively—using the bus, a bike or simply walking—there is a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. With increasing awareness of climate change, more people are wanting to reduce their impact on the environment.
Andrew Wickham, Managing Director at Go South Coast, who operate both Morebus and Unibus, adds, “By working together with the other public transport operators, including Beryl, we can encourage more residents out of their cars.”
Passenger, whose product Passenger Cloud powers Yellow Buses website and app, was recently rated one of the best public transport apps in the UK. Based in Westbourne, Passenger is also behind the Morebus and Unibus websites – as well as a slew of operators throughout the UK.
Beryl, who launched in Bournemouth and Poole in June of 2019, have made the availability of their Beryl Bikes, accessible through a secure API, enabling organisations like Passenger to share live locations of the available Beryl Bikes and Bays. Passenger has enriched the More Bus and Yellow Bus applications with this data.
Philip Ellis, Beryl Co-Founder and CEO, comments “By joining up travel options we’re making sustainable travel an easier choice. Working with the local bus companies means that travelling by bike and bus, as part of the same journey, will become a realistic travel option for even more people.”
Passenger CEO, Tom Quay adds, “The project has given the partners a great opportunity to work closely together. With everyone at the same table we’ve been able to deliver a project quickly that has a positive impact on lots of people locally”.
You can visit the Morebus, Unibus and Yellow Buses websites or download the Yellow Buses app from the app stores, to see the Beryl Bikes and bays alongside information about the buses.
