Why bespoke transit could be the answer to Canada's traffic woes
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One upstart, Argo, hopes to mitigate the problem with a made-in-Canada public transit concept.
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Argo integrates with existing transit lines and fare systems, an approach that could serve as a template for municipalities from coast to coast, supporting federal and provincial goals to cut emissions, boost economic productivity, and improve access to jobs, health care and education.
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Argo's new busing line allows users to request a transit ride near their location, with an app or phone call. Argo's smart routing system groups passengers going the same way. The rider is then taken to an existing transit connection, or close to their final destination — all under one standard fare.
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In the three months since launching its service in Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ont., Argo doubled ridership, having now replaced all fixed bus routes once operated by a private contractor.
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This summer, Argo will roll out a 12-month pilot in Brampton, Ont., complementing an existing transit network with Brampton Transit and GO lines.
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Praveen Arichandran speaks to the National Post's Dave Gordon about Argo Corporation, the Toronto-based publicly traded company he co-founded last year. With degrees in computer engineering and economics from the University of Waterloo, Arichandran previously served as Tesla's head of growth, and on Facebook's international growth team. He was named to Forbes' global '30 Under 30' list in 2019, and served as a key adviser to TikTok.
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What's unique about Argo?
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We are building a future where public transit is more convenient than driving, but as affordable as taking the bus. We fully integrate with existing transit lines and fare systems, so that integration lets us deliver faster deployments, lower costs and a better quality of service. We're dynamically routing our vehicles and grouping riders intelligently.
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I think more broadly for society, that means a future where access to jobs, health care, education and our loved ones is democratized, and not just limited to those who can afford car payments, real estate next to major transit lines, or those mobile enough to walk to the bus stop and wait in the cold for the bus. Argo vehicles are fully electric and wheelchair accessible with an 18-passenger capacity.
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