Optibus has launched its new Driver App , a mobile app and web tool designed to improve communication between drivers and their depots, helping to foster to a better driver work experience and more dynamic operations. Integrated with Optibus Operations, Optibus says the new Driver App has been designed in partnership with drivers, for drivers, offering a single space for digitising and centralising depot-driver communications and work information and helping to address driver dissatisfaction and make the job more appealing.
In research and interviews with bus drivers to explore how to improve job satisfaction, Optibus said it identified two key driver challenges that are immediately addressable using digital solutions: depot communication and job-related information: Driver-depot communication and access to key documents.
The lack of a single, centralised form of communication with the depot is a major point of frustration for drivers, the research found, and pre-shift information, including start time and vehicle location, can be scattered. Last-minute changes often are not communicated in a timely manner, creating a stressful and disruptive work environment, Optibus says, while drivers want to feel that their time is valued and that their voice is heard, especially when it comes to sharing insights into services and accounting for their shift preferences in work schedules.
In addition, it was found that drivers find the limited access to documents a major inconvenience, and that while many industries have digitised work documents and centralised them on a single cloud platform, bus drivers feel they must contend with outdated practices such as physical paperwork, inconvenient extra trips to access documents available only at the depot, and documentation that is lost or disorganised.
Optibus’ Driver App was therefore designed to help operators and transport agencies to address these issues and improve driver retention and recruitment by creating a more modern, meaningful work experience. The app gives dispatchers, allocators, and depots a range of abilities, including to help drivers prepare better for their shift, to alert drivers in real-time with faster communications, create rosters which account for drivers’ unique needs, digitise and centralise information, enable remote sign-ons, and balance driver needs with operational goals. The app can be integrated into operational processes and communicates with payroll and HR systems, helping to minimise operational disruptions.
“We have received very positive feedback from our drivers about the Optibus Driver App. When we started using the app with a test group of drivers, the other drivers could not wait to also have access to it. The user stats show that drivers are using the app every day. Additionally, our schedulers and our controllers are also requesting it, as it reduces the number of calls and queries they receive from drivers, since drivers can see all the information they need on the app. All around, the Driver App is making the work experience better and more organized for everyone,” said Duarte Cunha, Planning and Operations Manager at Transportes Sul do Tejo in Portugal, which is one of the first adopters of the solution.
“The Driver App marks a significant milestone in our journey to empower the people who power public transportation. By putting innovation in the hands of drivers, the Driver App helps create an excellent driver work experience and ensure a strong workforce for passengers. We are excited to see the positive impact that this technology will have on drivers and depots worldwide,” added Amos Haggiag, CEO and co-founder of Optibus.
