By Graham Cook
Next-Bus technology will let users know how close their bus is
Padraig Kennedy, an app designer and recent immigrant from Ireland, has released his latest creation with the intention of making the Vancouver bus system easier to use. The app, “Buscouver,” utilizes the new Translink GPS-based technology Next-Bus to allow the user to see when the next bus will arrive at a given stop.
The iPhone application was originally named “Next Bus Vancouver,” a copyright infringement that Kennedy told The Peak was an innocent mistake. He went on to share that he began work on this project late last February, after arriving in Vancouver and not liking the similar apps available. He described the project as “scratching an itch.” When work began, the intention was to use the transit schedule data to show when a bus was due to arrive. However, roughly a week before Kennedy’s app was set to launch, TransLink debuted their Next Bus technology, prompting him to use the new data.
“The one thing we may caution is that it may not be as up to date as possible,” said TransLink spokesperson Drew Snider. He added that they’ll have a more accurate system in place in the Fall for developers to take information from. TransLink doesn’t have its own app, but does have a mobile-friendly website. The Peak found three other Vancouver transit apps that were either free or $2.99.
As to why iPhone users should choose his product, Kennedy feels his version is faster and has a better layout than TransLink’s website. As an example, he pointed to companies like Tapbots, which provides the TweetBot application. According to Kennedy, many choose this option over the original Twitter app due to an improved design.
Kennedy said that he “never really expected to get rich off a bus app.” One of his recent blog posts, which outlines costs, corroborates this. After paying a designer roughly $1,000 and valuing his own time at $15,000, the app made $410 over the course of a month. The post asserts that losses are due to the 99 cent model not working for local apps, but only “for apps that appeal to a big percentage of iOS users.”
Kennedy released an update last week that officially changed the name to “Buscouver”, and raised the price to $2.99. The app will use GPS tracking where possible for more accurate information. According to Kennedy’s blog, he plans on making at least $5,000 per year in order for it to be worth his while.
