By BILLIE CHADDERDON, NEWS3 Guest Reporter
MACOMB, Illinois (NEWS3) — Since January, Macomb residents have been unable to track the Go West buses around the city. This is because mobile carriers are shutting down their 3G networks to support new services like 5G.
“With our tracking devices, most of those were 3G,” said Miranda Lambert, Transit Director of McDonough County Public Transportation. “We have as we’ve had to replace started to go to 5G, but I would say more than half of our devices were still under 3G.”
Without this service, many WIU students are relying on the standard scheduled times of bus arrival, though they report different levels of reliability.
According to Lambert, the McDonough County Public Transportation Department is working to create a new app with improved features for passengers, drivers, and dispatch. These features will provide route detours, accurate passenger coun and efficient methods of locating the buses when tracking is offline.
“I am optimistic that we are going to be able to launch an app by the fall semester when the students come back,” Lambert said.
While students are waiting for the new app, Lambert says that the current app can still be used to locate active bus routes and view their stopping points.
Students can also contact dispatch at 309-575-3333 for more route information.
