May 22, 2024

Press Release: Spare Partners with Winnipeg Transit Plus to Make Specialized Transit Services More Convenient and Reliable for Riders

Lynda Chau
VP of Marketing, Spare

Winnipeg, MB, May 22, 2024 —Spare is set to enhance Winnipeg’s public transportation system by launching a new booking and management system for Winnipeg Transit Plus.

This initiative marks a focused effort to incorporate advanced technology into Transit Plus’ operations. This will improve service accessibility, efficiency, and reliability for users. The Winnipeg Transit Plus service currently accommodates over 28,000 requested trips a month, serves over 5,100 active registered customers, and operates with a dedicated fleet of approximately 70 vehicles, including sedans, vans, and buses.

Key aspects of the new system include:

  • The Winnipeg Transit+ On-Request app: This smartphone and web app will facilitate easy booking, tracking, and management of rides while improving the entire passenger experience.
  • An automated phone service with IVR technology: This will provide a phone-based booking option for users without access to the mobile application, ensuring wide accessibility.
  • Expanded payment options: New payment methods will accommodate different user preferences and needs.

The expanded payment options and automated phone service will launch on Tuesday, June 18, and the app launch on Tuesday, July 9.

We're excited to offer these new accessible options when using our service. They will significantly reduce barriers and improve the entire user experience.

Teresa Platt

Manager of Client Services, Winnipeg Transit

The partnership's ambitions extend far beyond enhancing booking and payment options. By modernizing system operations, Spare’s technology will enable Transit Plus to streamline its scheduling and dispatching processes.

This leap in operational efficiency is anticipated to significantly improve on-time performance, leading to shorter wait times and a more responsive service overall.

“Our partnership with Winnipeg Transit moves us closer to our shared goal of ensuring riders can reach their destinations conveniently and efficiently,” said Spare CEO Kristoffer Vik Hansen. “Modernizing the Transit Plus trip-booking system will improve the overall rider experience, making every journey smoother and more reliable."

This partnership will extend to the Winnipeg Transit On-Request service later in 2024.

Lynda Chau
VP of Marketing, Spare
Transit enthusiast with a knack for B2G SaaS, finding her tribe in paratransit and microtransit.
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Lynda Chau

UPCOMING WEBINAR

November 19, 2025 at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST

Behind every great paratransit program is a network of people — dispatchers, drivers, schedulers, and riders — all working together to keep service moving. But when you’re managing thousands of trips a day across multiple providers, keeping that connection strong while improving efficiency is a real challenge.

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Our customers only had one channel to reach us, and that was through our contact center. With challenges in recruitment and retention at the time, our increased call demand and poor software support at peak times were ranging around the two-hour wait time. It really impacted customer experience, team morale, and even drew media attention.

Teressa Platt
,
Manager of Client Services