Beep Bus App solves social distancing on public transport

By Adrian Williams

Imagine this: You’re waiting on a bus when a taxi pulls up.  Should you take it? Personally, you prefer the bus, but you’re not sure if it will be crowded.  Actually, you do know because you’re in Barbados and you have the Beep Bus App on your phone.  

Beep Bus was developed by Veronica Millington, Co-Founder of Caribbean Transit Solutions from Barbados, and released in May 2015.  But it’s grown in popularity since Covid-19.

“This app can now tell you how many passengers are already on a bus so you can decide if you need to take the next one based on social distancing guidelines,” said Milligan. She explained that buses in Barbados have an average capacity of fifteen passengers seated, but this has been reduced due to social distancing requirements.

The Beep Bus App is Barbados’ first transit app and one of the first in the region. The latest update tells the number of passengers on a bus, but it was originally developed to provide other information about public transportation.  For example, users can check fares and filter searches by bus routes and bus type. You can also use the LIVE feature to track your bus from start until the bus stops at your feet.  This helps you to see precisely how long you have to wait on the next bus.  Milligan added that the app alleviates fears and helps users get around more strategically. 

Milligan was one of the presenters at the recent WeXchange IDB Lab /Tech Beach Webinar on the theme, “Unlocking the Power of Women STEMpreneurs in the Caribbean”.  The event, hosted by Golda Lee Bruce, featured leading women in the Caribbean in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), who exchanged views on how the Covid-19 pandemic has forced improvement to tech in the Caribbean. 

“Within the Caribbean we are playing catch up to digitise everything,” Milligan added.

Other panelists included Danielle Tait, Co-Founder of The Interview JM in Jamaica and Arielle Du Quesnay, Co-Founder of Roam TT in Trinidad & Tobago.

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