This Canadian tech company is launching a public transit service that will save time for everyday commuters in the GTA – NOW Toronto

There’s a Canadian technology company that aims to change the game in public transit by offering the very first on-demand, door-to-door service.

Argo Corporation is a new technology venture that is partnering with cities, transit agencies, and governments to increase ridership to existing public transit systems and improve the everyday person’s average commute time.

Argo’s Co-CEO and Co-Founder Praveen Arichandran says he created the service as a solution to the worsening traffic congestion in the city. Arichandran has first-hand experience with transit congestion as he grew up taking transit in Scarborough in the 1990’s. 

“In Ontario, the province’s official report says that time lost in traffic during peak hours across the 401 is going to triple by 2051 and anyone, obviously who lives in the GTA knows that that is not an option,” he said in an interview with Now Toronto on Thursday.

“…Cities and governments at home in Canada and globally are going to have to significantly invest in making public transit the best way to get around within and across cities. That’s the only way that we can help people still have mobility and get to places, to jobs and health-care to education, but we just need to take cars off the road,” he continued. 

He adds that there is a first and last mile (FLM) problem which is when there is a lack of adequate connectivity between transit stations and trip destinations. Essentially, the amount of time spent going to the transit line, apart from being on it.  

“If you’re going to take the bus or the GO train, or whatever it is, the time that it takes for you to walk from your home to the bus, the transit stop, and then wait for the transit, the transit vehicle or train, and then get out on the other side, and then you still need to walk to your destination or take another bike or micro mobility solution because of that first and last mile problem,” Arichandran explained. 

HOW DOES ARGO WORK?

For this reason, he decided to create Argo as the first vertically and publicly integrated on-demand transit solution. 

“For riders, you can basically request a ride from our app and get picked up right at your door, and then you’ll get intelligently routed and linked into existing transit lines and trains…You’ll have an experience that’s similar to using an Uber or a Lyft, but you’ll be taking public transit and not have to drive,” Arichandran said.

“And then for cities and governments, we’re basically providing an end-to-end solution, including vehicles, hardware, software, operational support, so that they can deploy this really quickly and integrate it with their systems to get more people taking transit,” he added.

Argo plans to eliminate the need to walk or wait to get to transit and give people more control of their mobility through its app, while still paying the regular transit fee. 

Arichandran notes that another purpose for having this system is to have equal accessibility and extra safety during harsh weather conditions. 

While young and able-bodied people are able to walk to a bus stop, it is not always the case for the elderly or those who have accessibility issues. In addition, during negative degree weather in the winter season, it becomes harder to travel outside. 

“…Fundamentally, we want to build a system that’s seamless, transparent, accessible for everyone, and I think by doing it in this way, we can give people a faster experience than sitting through a car in traffic, and get cars off the road, and really democratize access and unlock opportunities for people,” Arichandran said.

INSPIRATION BEHIND LAUNCHING ARGO IN CANADA

Arichandran said he was inspired to create Argo after having the privilege of working in other places such as Singapore, San Francisco, Manhattan, and Los Angeles. 

Through these experiences, he was able to learn and understand how transit and mobility operate in different metropolitan cities. He saw the amount of untapped opportunity there was in the public transit industry and went for it. 

However, the common denominator he noticed in all these cities was the Canadians at the forefront of technology. 

“…In all of these places, it was Canadians that were disproportionately leading these efforts at the leading global tech companies, and there’s such an incredible talent outflow out of Canada. I think the opportunity to bring home incredible Canadian tech talent and solve this problem and really showcase Canadian innovation on a global stage is beyond the mission of this work,” Arichandran shared.

FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT

Arichandran reveals that Argo sees a bright future with public transit where it has the potential to become more efficient and pragmatic. 

“It is the best way to get around, has more ridership, more routes, more vehicles, more drivers. We see a future where public transit systems are much stronger than they are today, and much preferred where people don’t own cars, because transit is so accessible. We’re here to provide that kind of technology and solutions to transit agencies, cities, provinces and the federal government in order to enable that future,” he said.

Argo plans to launch in the next coming months in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) offering rides to commuters between their homes, workplaces and train stations. 

The company will be rolling out its first deployments soon and is expected to announce the time and place in the near future.