One of the key characteristics of local governments that function well is providing good customer service to residents. That can take a variety of forms.
Having knowledgeable and courteous staff in departments to handle residents questions and needs.
Ensuring that public services, such as trash pickup, operate like clockwork.
Embracing technology and using it to better serve residents is another.
Switching to voting centers, for example, has made voting easier. Online registration for Columbus Parks and Recreation Department programs has saved parents time.
In Columbus, add in a new app that should make the experience of riding city buses even better.
The Board of Public Works and Safety recently approved a three-year, $111,365 agreement with Los-Angeles-based Syncromatics Corp. to provide an app that lets city bus users track the location of buses they are waiting to ride. The app, which will make riders aware of delays or other matters, is expected to be available in a few months for Apple and Android users.
The five ColumBUS Transit routes served 230,462 riders last year. The transportation system has served more than 172,000 riders so far this year.
The city is using a $62,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, with the remainder of the cost being paid from Economic Development Income Tax funds.
It should be money well spent.
Bus riders want and deserve good experiences, and an app that can provide helpful information to waiting riders is one way to do that.
It’s one more way for the city to provide good customer service.
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