Developed by programmers in Da Nang, an application allowing essential workers to get around during nightly subway closures was introduced in New York City (USA) in May.

The app is called Essential Connector, and it was developed by programmers who are working at the Da Nang branch of the Switzerland-based software company Axon Vibe and their Swiss co-workers.

The app is now available in Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store . It helps essential workers find a bus using the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s enhanced evening schedule, or if that’s not convenient, book a free taxi trip.

The home screen shows a map of the city with bus stations. Tapping a station allows the user to see live bus and train departures, including the last train arrivals of the night and available buses nearby. Over time, the map will become “personalised,” highlighting the stops the user visits most often, making trip planning faster and easier.

Le Khac Tho, one of the developers of the app, said his company Axon Vibe was one of participants in the MTA’s ‘transit tech lab’ accelerator programme that uses cellphone data, sensors, and cameras to find solutions to overcrowded subway platforms and ineffective bus lanes.

Tho remarked that Axon Vibe’s Essential Connector app beat formidable opponents worldwide that were technology companies and startups involving public transportation aspect to be chosen by the MTA.

By XUAN SON - Translated by MAI DUNG