USA: Transit has launched a paid-for version of its transport app. Core features such as next departures, journey planning and mobile ticketing remain free, while after a grace period only subscribers to the new Royale service will be able to access full timetables and maps for routes that are further away.
A Royale subscription costs $4·99 a month or $24·99 a year, and provides extra features and customisation options.
Transport agencies can subscribe to provide Royale to all their customers, either as a standalone option or bundled with services such as mobile ticketing upgrades, rider surveys or multimodal integration. Agencies that subscribe can also have a custom branded app.
Royale has initially been launched in cities where Transit does not have a partnership with the local transport agency, with roll out in partner cities to follow next year. Agencies that have already signed up include RTD in Denver, Metro Transit in St Louis, Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica, RTA in Dayton and RTS in Rochester.
‘Almost a decade ago, I started Transit with my co-founder’, said Sam Vermette, CEO of Transit. ‘We didn’t follow the path of some other transportation apps, which rely on selling personal data, running ads or competing against public transit. Instead, we built an app that puts transit riders first. Now with Royale, we’re launching a model that’s supported by both users and partner transit agencies. It means we can keep building an app that stays true to riders over the long term.’
