Business View Magazine | August 2020

149 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 GODURHAM that brings them closer to the ground or the curb – that reduces the distance a person has to step up or down. Our ‘sister ship,’ GoDurham Access, has a dedicated fleet and routes specifically for individuals who qualify to ride those systems based on their disabilities. The Access models are highly-equipped for people who can’t navigate the fixed route system at all or have a very difficult time doing so. “And GoDurham has new payment technology coming soon. We have contracted with Delerrok, an electronic fare collection system provider, to integrate mobile ticketing and we’re gearing up to do a soft launch in October. Instead of paying cash, or buying a physical day pass, customers will be able to load those fare media onto their smart phone or device through an app, and use it on our buses via a reader that scans their phone and deducts the fare accordingly. Within that technology, there is the ability to fare cap and that will probably be launched with the mobile ticketing, as well.” stood out among the other competitors and we’re excited to bring them into our fleet. “GoDurham has also been a bit of a test bed for Continental Tire. We’ve worked with them in developing technologies around tire monitoring for their business and, of course, we benefit from that as well. They’ve been a great partner for us because tires are obviously important, and expensive, as they wear out fast on heavy equipment. Another important partnership is Clarke Power Services. They do a great deal of parts repairs and work on our battery hybrid buses, which comprise a large portion of our fleet. They are integral to our success.” BVM: What special services do you offer riders? Middleton: “All buses on our fixed transit system are configured to support seniors and disabled customers. They have wheelchair lifts and ramps for any of our customers who have difficulty traversing steps. Our buses also “kneel”, they actually drop down using our hydraulic system