February 6, 2023 – Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Blaise Transit (“Blaise”) is thrilled to announce that they were successful in a bid for a 3-year contract with the Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network (NSCTN), following a competitive public tender process. The NSCTN has selected Blaise’s platform to improve the accessibility and efficiency of community transportation in up to 23 communities across Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia, the largest province by population in Atlantic Canada, has a long history of offering community-based transportation programs. Most of these transportation services are operated by not-for-profit organizations and offer a dial-a-ride, pre-booked model. Understanding that these services were previously managed manually using very little software, the NSCTN sought a long-term technology partner to deploy a provincewide solution to help improve the efficiency of these services.
Blaise Transit has vast experience deploying its on-demand transit and dispatch management platform in rural and small communities across North America. As the chosen vendor for this project, Blaise is working alongside the NSCTN to tailor their technology to the needs of the NSCTN members.
The technology will be gradually deployed to each community in Nova Scotia over the next 12 months, starting in the summer of 2023. It will begin with the implementation of the Blaise Engine dispatching portal to improve the efficiency of booking rides, producing reports, and invoicing clients. Later in the project, the universal Blaise Transit rider app and Blaise Drive navigation tool will be used to allow riders to book their trips digitally and offer greater flexibility to drivers. The combination of these systems will improve the accessibility, efficiency and scalability of the transit services offered.
With over 150 vehicles in operation across the province, this project will be the largest deployment of a demand-responsive transit platform in North America. This collaboration also represents the first provincewide transit dispatch management partnership in Canada. The project will serve as a model to other groups or networks of transit agencies looking to procure and deploy on-demand transportation and dispatch management software in multiple cities.
The Province of Nova Scotia has provided $525,000 over three years to support this work.
“Dependable transit makes communities stronger,” said Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Kim Masland. “I want to thank the Nova Scotia Community Transportation Network for their leadership on this project and I know that the network and Blaise Transit will work hard to develop a technology solution that meets the specific needs of our Nova Scotian communities.”
"We’re excited to support enhanced demand-responsive transit services in Nova Scotia, and to bring new, user-friendly booking options to residents and visitors of the Bluenose Province."
- Justin Hunt, Blaise's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer.
“We are excited to work with the Blaise team on this innovative project. This new technology has the potential to better position our Community Transportation providers across the province to build an even stronger and more accessible network resulting in the ability to better serve the transportation needs of all Nova Scotians for years to come.”
- Leslie Taylor, Provincial Coordinator of the NSCTN
About Blaise Transit
Based in Montreal, Quebec, Blaise Transit is a turnkey universal software platform that enables transport organizations to run a variety demand-responsive transit services. Powered by patent-pending AI routing algorithms, we empower our partner cities and transit authorities to run more cost-efficient services, while offering a better experience to riders and expanding accessibility. Founded in 2018, Blaise has worked with dozens of municipalities across North America on projects using on-demand, paratransit, fixed, and flex transit models.
Blaise is also backed by world-class investors such as Anges Québec, Techstars, the Capital Angel Network, and the Government of Quebec, through the Impulsion PME program of Investissement Quebec.
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As Women's History Month draws to a close, it's an opportune time to reflect on the invaluable contributions of women leaders in various industries, including transit technology. At Blaise Transit, we are proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of women who are shaping the landscape of transit technology in North America.
March 8th marks International Women's Day, and Blaise Transit is honored to shine a spotlight on the remarkable women who are leading the way in transit agencies across North America.
In the 17th century, a man by the name of Blaise Pascal came up with an idea to run five-cent coaches around specified, heavily trafficked routes in Paris, picking up and dropping off passengers at designated points. What started on March 18, 1662 became the primary blueprint for the concept of public transportation.
