The Unified Public Transportation Company (UPTC) and Bluestone Labs have partnered on a deal to launch a unified public bus system in New Providence, The Bahamas, according to new reports.

As outlined in Eyewitness News, the new digital system is intended to provide access to 220 busses and over 40 routes, transporting between 60,000 and 90,000 passengers a day.

The pilot project will begin during the first quarter of 2023 by registering students and providing them with physical student IDs and on the Bahamas Western District of Nassau, the report says. The pass will be available through a feature in the Bluestone B-ID mobile app.

The news outlet also says that the app will feature smart routing technology to plan bus trips, real-time updates on buses, a rating system and SOS reporting connected to UPTC dispatch centers.

The digital pass is in an effort to phase out cash payments for bus fares in favor of digital payments, QR codes and value tap cards.

“We are proud to be a part of this important project and we look forward to seeing the benefits it brings to The Bahamas,” said Bluestone Labs CEO, John Bridgewater.

UPTC President Harrison Moxey said: “We are excited to partner with Bluestone Labs to launch the UPTC Jitney Pass. The digital bus system will greatly improve the public transportation experience, decongesting traffic and eventually lead to more local adoption amongst our school children, parents and visitors and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on our community.”