BAY MINETTE – Baldwin County’s public transportation system is launching an on-demand scheduling app to allow riders to arrange rides online.
The Baldwin Rural Transportation System will offer BRATS On-Demand, a scheduling app that will allow riders to book trips around the county using their smart phone, similar to scheduling a ride-sharing service, Matthew Brown, system director, said Tuesday.
“BRATS has served the citizens of Baldwin County for years, but as times change, so do kind of the demands of the population,” Brown said.
BRATS was established in 1988. Until now, most riders had to call dispatchers at least 24 hours in advance to arrange trips. The scheduling booklet was 40 pages long and often confusing to system employees, including Brown.
He said BRATS provides good service, but the scheduling and dispatch has not kept up with changing times.
“Amazon Prime can deliver a package from almost anywhere in the country to our door at about the same time that we can deploy a local bus to get someone a trip, 24 hours in advance,” Brown said.
In 2019, county officials began talking to ride-sharing services to improve the dispatching sytem, Brown told Baldwin County commissioners.
“We want to expand to new passengers, folks who maybe would not have thought to use BRATS before, knowing now that when they need to get their child to maybe ball practice or something and something’s come up, they can take one of our vehicles where we have background checked drivers,” Brown said. “We have video cameras on our buses and know that’s a safe option that they can get on their phone on a smart phone app and book very quickly.”
Brown said the new system could be the first of its kind.
“We became what, at least we’re told, is the world’s first rural mobility on-demand deployment where the whole entire system is being run by this software,” Brown said.
He said the price for the service will not change.
“The pricing is staying the same, it’s still just $2 for the first five miles and 50 cents for each additional five-mile increment after that,” Brown said. “It’s a very, very affordable service.”
“This is the kind of innovation we encourage when it comes to providing services to our citizens,” Commission Chairman Joe Davis said. “Our staff look for ways to be as efficient as possible and BRATS On-Demand is a great example of that. We also realize that technology can be intimidating for some and we are here to help those who need assistance downloading and using the new app.”
Commissioner Charles “Skip” Gruber many residents rely on BRATS for transportation and the update will improve the service.
“I think this is the right move,” Gruber said. “BRATS has come a long way.”
Anyone wanting more information about the service or instructions on how to download the app, can go to www.ridebrats.com or call 251-972-6817.
