Bridj

BRIDJ (pronounced "bridge") is a SaaS platform designed to support ‘demand responsive’ or ‘on demand’ public transport providers. Its platform includes an optimisation engine, traveller app, driver app and client portal. The traveller app allows passengers to book, pay and track a service between two locations within a service area. The optimisation engine consumes pre-planned and real-time bookings and then allocates passengers to the available vehicles to create the optimal trips for the given service objectives. The optimisation engine is designed to handle large numbers of passengers and vehicles of both small capacities (1-6 pax) and high capacity (6-50+). BRIDJ technology is currently deployed on public transport services in Sydney, Australia and for staff transfer services Singapore.   

BRIDJ
IndustryTechnology
Founded2 June 2014
Headquarters
Brisbane, Australia
Area served
Current:
Inner West
Former:
Eastern Suburbs
Wetherill Park
Boston
Kansas City
Washington DC
Key people
John Langford-Ely – CEO
ServicesDemand responsive transport
OwnerPrivate
Websitewww.bridj.com

It initially provided shuttle services in its origin city of Boston and later also in Washington DC and Kansas City. These American services ceased operation in April 2017 following an unsuccessful funding round. The business was then acquired by Australian company Transit Systems and services started in Sydney in December 2017. In January 2020, Transit Systems was acquired by SeaLink Travel Group.[1] As a result of this transaction, BRIDJ became an independent, privately owned company. After acquiring and managing the business on behalf of Transit Systems, John Langford-Ely is now the CEO of the independent company.  

History

USA (2014 - 2017)

Founded early in 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts by Matt George, the company launched in their home town later the same year followed by Washington DC in April 2015.[2][3][4]

The company raised $4 million from a number of venture capital firms and an early investor in Zipcar.[5]

On 10 February 2016, BRIDJ and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) announced "Ride KC: BRIDJ", a pilot project that would use BRIDJ as the operator of a microtransit system under the RideKC brand.[6][7] Though BRIDJ planned trips based on users preferences expressed via its mobile app, KCATA provided union drivers and set fares the same as its other service. Fourteen Ford Transit vehicles were used in an exclusivity deal.[8][9]

Later in 2016, BRIDJ ceased operations in Washington DC. It also began using its buses and local storage lockers to deliver goods in Boston on a trial basis, while considering future self-driving buses and sidewalk-traveling robots to deliver packages.[10]

BRIDJ shut down abruptly on 30 April 2017, after funding negotiations with Toyota failed.[11][12] George told The Boston Globe in May 2017, that the company raised approximately $11 million since their founding in June 2014.[13]

Australia (2017 onwards)

In October 2017 it was announced that BRIDJ had been purchased by Australian company Transit Systems.[14] It began operations in Sydney, Australia with a trial Wetherill Park On Demand service in December 2017 operating Iveco Dailys.[15][16] In August 2018, it took over the Eastern Suburbs On Demand service from Transdev's RIDE Plus,[17][18] while the Wetherill Park trial service ceased operations.[19]

In July 2018, BRIDJ’s parent company Transit Systems commenced the Region 6 bus services contract in Inner-West Sydney by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW). This is an 8-year contract with a fleet of approx 600 buses servicing over 50 million passengers per annum. The contract was awarded with an integrated DRT/On Demand component that will see up to 10 DRT/On Demand zones being implemented over time in conjunction with the broader network improvement plan in the Inner West of Sydney. The Burwood and Strathfield Train Station Service represents one of these zones and operates using 18 seat Hino mini-buses. The Region 6 strategic network plan involves BRIDJ services being introduced as feeder services into trunk transport hubs and also more efficient coverage services to fill network gaps. By doing so, it is envisaged that BRIDJ can provide a more efficient and customer friendly ‘first and last mile’ public transport service, while at the same time facilitating upgrades on the trunk bus network to ‘turn-up-and-go’ style services (i.e. reallocation of large bus resources to trunk corridors with headway frequency).[20]  

Transit Systems plans to introduce more BRIDJ on-demand services into other Australian cities as well as London.[21]

In January 2020, SeaLink Travel Group acquired Transit Systems. As part of the acquisition, BRIDJ became privately owned and now operates independently. BRIDJ plans to partner  with new operators and transit agencies across the globe.[22]

Singapore (2019 onwards)

In Singapore, BRIDJ licenses its technology to Tower Transit for the purpose of transferring drivers to and from its Bulim depot. Historically, these services were delivered using fixed routes. Using the BRIDJ platform, Tower Transit has converted these services into dynamic ones that adapt to the transport requirements of drivers working on any given day.

Operations

Sydney Inner West

BRIDJ operates On Demand services on behalf of Transit Systems for Transport for New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. The service was the first On Demand service in Sydney to accept OpalPay and concession fares. BRIDJ formerly operated trials in Wetherill Park and a Rose Bay to Bondi service, until they ceased operations on 3 August 2018.[19] and 20 December 2019 respectively.[23]

References
  1. "SeaLink Announces Strategic Acquisition of Transit Systems Group and Launches Capital Raising - SeaLink Travel Group". www.sealinktravelgroup.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  2. Johnston, Katie (13 May 2014). "Pop-up bus service Bridj to launch test runs June 2". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  3. "Bridj pop-up bus service arrives in D.C." Washington Post. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  4. "Boston's Bridj eyeing place in public transit's future". Metro US. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  5. "Transit innovators Bridj bag $4 million funding and Gabe Klein as COO". Dataconomy. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  6. "Bridj, KCATA Launch Pilot Program" (Press release). Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  7. Cronkleton, Robert A. (10 February 2016). "On-demand shuttle service will start serving KC commuters next month". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  8. Leung, Shirley (11 February 2016). "Bridj Teams with Ford for Expansion into Kansas City". Boston Globe. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  9. https://gizmodo.com/ford-and-bridj-are-launching-an-on-demand-bus-service-i-1758448851
  10. Bray, Hiawatha (28 August 2016). "Ride service Bridj plans package deliveries, with robots helping". Boston Globe. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  11. Woodward, Curt; Vaccar, Adam; Gans, Felicia (30 April 2017). "Bridj, local on-demand bus service, is shutting down". Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  12. Vaccaro, Adam; Woodward, Curt (2 May 2017). "Toyota pullout left Bridj out of gas". Boston Globe. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  13. Kirsner, Scott (11 May 2017). "Anatomy of the Bridj collapse: Startup moved too fast". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  14. "With new owner, Bridj aims for a comeback in Australia". Boston Globe.
  15. "Our Story". Bridj. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  16. "On Demand public transport services for the Inner West". Transport Info NSW. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  17. "On Demand public transport changes for Eastern Suburbs". Transport for NSW. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  18. "News". Bridj. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  19. "Wetherill Park On Demand service". Transport for NSW. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  20. "Transit Systems secures Region 6 Bus Contract". Transit Systems | Bus Network Public Transport Operator | NSW | SA | WA | NT | UK | Singapore. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  21. Transit Systems eyes Bridj shuttle expansion after Adelaide bus acquisition Australian Financial Review 9 May 2018
  22. "SeaLink Announces Strategic Acquisition of Transit Systems Group and Launches Capital Raising - SeaLink Travel Group". www.sealinktravelgroup.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  23. Transport for NSW, Customer Experience Division. "Eastern Suburbs On Demand trial to end 20 December". transportnsw.info. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
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