We tested a transport app which cost the public £4m against Google Maps
BBCA new £4m transport app was hailed as "a first of its kind" and a "big step forward" when it was launched by East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward and Nottingham and Derby city councils, with the help of government funding.
The Ride app, which has now been downloaded more than 5,000 times, aims to provide travellers with a one-stop shop to plan, book and pay for transport on buses, trains, trams and even ebikes and escooters.
But other transport apps are available which perform many of the same functions.
So BBC journalists Matt Weigold and Matt Barlow decided to put the Ride app to the test against Google Maps in a race.
The pair set off from the car park outside BBC Radio Derby's office in St Helen's Street after the morning rush hour traffic had subsided - and began by searching for directions to the BBC office in Nottingham. Here's how each of them got on.
Google maps
Matt Barlow was using Google Maps and was given the following instructions when he searched for how best to get to the BBC office in Nottingham:
- Walk to Derby Bus Station
- 10.50 take Red Arrow bus to Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham
- 11.10 arrive at QMC
- 11.15 take 34 City Loop bus to Canal Street
- 11.34 arrive at Canal Street
- Walk from Canal Street to BBC Nottingham
- 11.37 arrive at BBC Nottingham
He said: "I have used Google Maps plenty of times for car journeys, but I've never used it for public transport or walking around a city centre - so as the other Matt hadn't used the Mayor's app before, we felt it was a fair test.
"Google Maps is very straightforward to use, though the first thing I noticed was the other Matt disappeared from view as soon as we left the car park and I didn't see him again at any point during the journey.
"I have to confess, I did get a bit caught up in the competition and wanted to win - although Matt and I had agreed a strict 'no running' rule, which I did stick to, even though it was really tempting to break out into a run.
"I knew that I would have to catch more than one bus before we even started - simply due to the location of the BBC Derby office - and the changeover at the Queen's Medical Centre would lose me valuable time.
"So I walked straight to Derby bus station and wasn't waiting long before I hopped on the Red Arrow to the QMC. I arrived there 20 minutes later at 11.10am.
"I was then directed to the stop for my second bus on the 34 City Loop service, which arrived five minutes after I was at the stop.
"It took me to Canal Street, which is only a short walk from the Nottingham office and again, I had to resist the temptation to run.
"I was feeling fairly confident of victory, but how had the other Matt done?"
Mayor's Ride app
Matt Weigold was using Ride app and was given the following instructions:
- 10.38 walk to Derby bus station
- 10:48 Catch the 1C bus from Derby bus station to Derby train station
- 10.59 Train from Derby to Nottingham.
- 11.22 Train arrives in Nottingham
- 11.29 Arrive at BBC Nottingham
He said: "I was a Ride East Midlands beginner at the start of this challenge, but downloading the app was very simple.
"I didn't need to set up an account, or any of that nonsense, which meant I could make a swift exit out of our studio car park and head for the bus station.
"The app's directions were very clear, well-broken down and easy to use.
"However, I'd heard feedback that the Ride app over-complicates journeys and adds too many bus options for short distances.
"So when it suggested getting the 1C bus to the train station, a journey I used to regularly walk, I was nervous.
"Was I handing the win over to my rival Matt before I'd even left Derby city centre?
"But I kept faith with the new £4m app and sure enough it paid off! I arrived just in time for the 10.59 train to Nottingham which I would probably have missed on foot.
"Cruising across the county boundary by rail, I was confident of being the first over the finish line.
"But stepping off the platform, I had one last niggling doubt.
"Would the Ride app send me on an unnecessary bus ride from Nottingham train station to BBC Nottingham?
"Fortunately, common sense prevailed and it suggested the short walk around the corner and, hopefully, on to victory.
"Palms sweating, fingers crossed, I entered the studio in search of Barlow, praying I wouldn't see his smug face sat in the office."
Who won?
With no delays along either route for either Matt, it was Matt Weigold who arrived at the BBC Nottingham office first, eight minutes ahead of Matt Barlow - exactly as the Mayor's app predicted when it first laid out the route.
Matt Weigold said:"I was really impressed with the Ride East Midlands app, but I wouldn't say it's a huge improvement on Google Maps or similar well-established guidance apps.
"I understand it also has a feature to find e-scooters and e-bikes in Nottingham. Perhaps I could have crossed the finish line even quicker on two wheels?"
Matt Barlow added: "I so was convinced I had won the race. This might make me sound like a sore loser, but even though I was slower, my trip on the buses was cheaper than Matt's bus and train and cost £9.90 compared to his £12.
"So, is it worth spending £4m of public money on an app that saved eight minutes on a fairly simple journey, which cost £2.10 more? That's one for the readers to decide!"
What did the Mayor's office say?
We did approach the mayor's office before we put the app to the test to see if there was anything they wanted to say.
A spokesperson pointed out that £1.5m has been spent on developing the app and the remaining £2.5m has been set aside to expand and develop it.
"The Ride app delivers major benefits for passengers across our region," the spokesperson added.
"It brings tickets and travel information together in one place, gives a real-time view of the transport network, shows exactly where your bus is, and provides detailed route information beyond what existing tools like Google Maps offer.
"Feedback from the Mayor's Big Transport Conversation shows that unreliable real-time information is a key barrier to using public transport.
"Ride directly addresses this, giving passengers confidence and making journeys easier to plan.
"Ride is not a finished product but the foundation of a long-term vision. It will continue to grow and improve over the coming years, becoming an increasingly important tool for how people plan, pay for, and experience travel across our region."
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