Photo courtesy of Pamala Proverbs
By Khalil Bryan (Business Development Lead of Caribbean Transit Solutions Inc.) and Veronica Millington (Caribbean Transit Solutions Inc. Marketing Lead)
Photo courtesy of Pamela Proverbs
For the first time, Barbadians have access to reliable public transport information, courtesy of our apps ‘BeepCap’ and ‘BeepBus’. Our company, Caribbean Transit Solutions Inc., uses GPS, mobile data and Internet technologies to provide our fellow Barbadians with the platform to search for local bus routes, and request and book taxis, directly from their phone.
BeepCab allows users to hail and pay for a cab at the click of a finger by alerting the closest registered taxi to come and collect them. BeepBus lets users search for local bus routes by using the app to enter their location and intended destination. We additionally provide a fleet and vehicle management platform called EasyTrak that enables monitoring, reporting and analytical functionality to administrators and fleet managers.
These ideas originally came out of our frustration in trying to catch a local bus and taxis while on the island. Having heard of similar transit and taxi apps overseas, we thought ‘Why hasn’t somebody done this here?’ It’s our solution to the frustration that many locals feel when they are trying to catch public transport, or find a taxi, in their daily lives. And, so far, users love it.
Because of our efforts to improve the lives of those in our community, we are delighted to have been selected by the IDB to head to Washington D.C. this month to participate in ‘Demand Solutions: Ideas for Improving Lives in Cities’ held at their Headquarters.
This event will bring us together to share ideas with 14 other ‘start up’ companies who also offer innovative solutions to some of today’s urban challenges. Being the only Caribbean company to earn a place at the forum from about 200 Latin America and the Caribbean entrants, we are extremely proud to be alongside leading global innovators, media, and entrepreneurs. We expect that this experience will help to further develop our business.
At the moment, our apps and services are only available in Barbados, but our vision is to expand to other countries in the region, and even further abroad. Currently, we have over 200 registered users of BeepCab, over 150 downloads of BeepBus, and our EasyTrak service currently services over 50 vehicles on the island. We also plan to integrate in-app advertising into our business within the coming twelve to eighteen months.
Barbados has been a fantastic starting location for us, and the Demand Solutions forum will give us the perfect opportunity to broaden our knowledge and gain exposure overseas. Thank you IDB!
For more information, see www.caribbeantransitsolutions.com
Follow us on Twitter: @IDB_CarDevTrend
Very cool, need more info.
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