NOV ’23 – APR ’24 | internship | Via
The Belgian Region of Flanders completely renewed its public transport system for 6,8 million people. The new mobility vision of the Flemish government focuses on flexible, combined mobility; faster and more frequent traffic on busy routes, combined with on-demand public transport in places where the demand is smaller.
The Region of Flanders partnered with Via, and I had the pleasure to support the launch of the “Hoppin” service, bringing the vision of large-scale on-demand public transport to life.
Project highlights
- Set up and tested on-demand public transport service, consisting of a rider, driver, and dispatcher interface.
- Organised and facilitated training for different user types, such as dispatchers and bus drivers.
- Stakeholder communication, from customer support calls, to partner management and tech support.
Testing and Training
The “Hoppin” service is a digital platform with 3 interfaces:
- The Rider App: where passengers search, book, pay, and navigate their rides.
- The Driver App: where bus drivers navigate, as well as pick up and drop off passengers.
- The Via Operations Center: where dispatchers monitor and plan the whole service.
In collaboration with the partner, we tested extensively to see if the service was configured correctly (strings, opening hours, travel restrictions, payment methods, etc.). Collaborating with our Tech Team, we made sure any bugs were fixed and feedback was implemented.
In parallel with testing, we trained different stakeholders on the use of the new “Hoppin” service. This included facilitating driver, dispatcher and customer support training on the ground, as well as creating various educational materials.
Launch and Support
When the service went live the team was available in the background to make sure the launch went smoothly. We jumped in wherever help was needed, for instance by taking on direct support calls, where we assisted passengers and bus drivers who had questions when using the new service. In the following weeks, we were our partner’s first point of contact and implemented any feedback.
Team: Clara Canales, Sten Boerkamp, Vita Wilkinson, Jérôme Villepelet
Images by Common Ground, source: https://hoppin.be/nl/flexbus/
