TRC enables hands-on testing and operations simulation with the launch of Pingo Sandbox™ – simplifying transit software decisions
October 14, 2024 – New York, New York, USA: The Routing Company (TRC), a global leader in on-demand vehicle routing and management, today announced the launch of Pingo Sandbox™ – an innovative transit operations environment simulator designed to empower partners to explore the capabilities of the Pingo platform in their specific operational contexts.
Pingo Sandbox™ provides a unique opportunity for both existing and prospective partners to gain an in-depth understanding of how demand responsive transit can be set up locally, while helping minimize risk before physical deployments occur.
- Empowering Existing Partners: For current users, Pingo Sandbox™ can now be used to test new configurations and scenarios in a risk-free environment, ensuring a smoother rollout of updates and enhancements.
- Engaging Potential Partners: New partners can experience the user journey firsthand across reservations, scheduling, dispatch, and rider interactions. This immersive experience serves as a customized demonstration, significantly boosting buyer confidence.
The goal of Pingo Sandbox™ is to demystify the functionality of the platform, offering partners valuable insights into its performance across various scenarios. Users can simulate operations with 'agent' riders who book hypothetical trips, and drivers serving those trips based on schedules automatically generated by Pingo. This feature not only demonstrates scalability but also allows users to modify trips and schedules, mirroring the operation of a live service.
“Pingo Sandbox offers an unmatched product design perspective, enabling users to engage directly with the technology that drives their operations,” said Niko Rekhviashvili, Director of Product Management, TRC. “It facilitates a deeper understanding of how the platform can be tailored to meet specific needs.”
In addition to its testing capabilities, Pingo Sandbox™ serves as a valuable training tool for transit personnel, including dispatchers, schedulers, and drivers, providing a virtual platform for employees to familiarize themselves with the system before implementation.
Dami Adebayo, Director of Partnerships, added, “This tool embodies the philosophy of ‘try before you buy,’ giving partners a clear view of the capabilities of Pingo. By experiencing the platform firsthand, they can confidently assess its fit for their transit needs.”
The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (“RGRTA”), who announced a 132-vehicle partnership with TRC in September 2024, was among the first agencies in North America to leverage Pingo Sandbox™ as part of its procurement process.
“Being able to use the Pingo platform in a detailed, localized, and hands-on manner was incredibly valuable – and was a difference maker for us,” said Chris Mahood, Director of Information Technology, RGRTA. “Our agency’s specific needs don’t always translate to paper, but Pingo Sandbox ™ gave us the visibility and confidence we needed to select the right partner – The Routing Company – in a highly competitive RFP process.”
Many times, written responses to RFPs or technical specifications do not fully align with the expectations of agencies once the software goes live. Pingo Sandbox™ challenges this conventional approach by providing agencies with full transparency and the opportunity to validate functionalities in real-time. This hands-on experience allows agencies to make informed decisions, ensuring that the solutions they choose align perfectly with their operational needs and expectations, ultimately leading to successful implementations and enhanced service delivery.
The Pingo Sandbox™ launch builds upon TRC’s recent product advancements, including nine distinct paratransit upgrades designed to dramatically enhance the dispatcher, operator, and rider experience, and three additional upgrades focused on improving the scheduler experience.
“By enhancing customer experience through continuous product improvement, and now adding the ability to dive into hands-on testing with Pingo Sandbox, we are helping our partners be fully prepared for success,” said James Cox, Chief Executive Officer, TRC. “It aligns perfectly with TRC’s commitment to innovation and excellence in public transit.”
TRC’s commitment to customer satisfaction is backed by its recent industry-leading Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 92, a testament to the company’s ability to deliver both innovative technology and exceptional support.
The Pingo platform, which includes the Drive Pingo™ and Ride Pingo™ apps and the Pingo Dashboard™ operations tool, has powered nearly two million trips to date, helping agencies deliver efficient, flexible, and scalable transit services.
To learn more about how TRC is transforming public transit, visit theroutingcompany.com or request a demo by emailing move@theroutingcompany.com.
About TRC
Founded by MIT researchers and rideshare industry veterans, TRC is a global on-demand vehicle routing and management platform that partners with cities to power the future of public transit. Leveraging proprietary and unrivalled artificial intelligence, TRC delivers routing from multiple points of demand to one vehicle while enabling greater transit equity, accessibility, cost efficiency, and sustainability. Its leading product, the Pingo™ app, offers on-demand or advance trip requests and can operate in on-demand, flex, fixed, or paratransit mode.
With a team spanning eight countries, TRC directly supports international operations and customer growth through hubs in Canada, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Learn more at theroutingcompany.com.
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