A computer science student at the University of Northern British Columbia has made getting around Prince George a little greener and a lot more convenient for fellow northerners. UNBC Master’s student Xinyi Zhuang created the iPhone app PG Transit to make a fast and easy—and free—way for residents to get to their bus on time.

“I used to see many bus riders, especially people unfamiliar with the transit schedule, reading the paper-made Rider's Guide, “says Zhuang, who came to UNBC last January from his home in Quanzhou, Fujian, southern China. “I think this app has great potential to make a better public transit system if there is a way to directly communicate with the digital database of BC Transit. It will be easier to notice schedule changes and notifications.”

So far, the app has about 100 downloads, mostly from Canada and the United States, after it was officially released on September 12. At first, Zhuang says he considered charging $0.99 to download the app, but then reconsidered. “It makes me happy just to see my fellow students and transit riders using the app and it’s also good for my resume,” says Zhuang. “It’s my career ambition to work at Google someday, so I hope this can be a step in that direction.”

Zhuang says he hopes to develop the app next for Android. The app can be downloaded here.

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Xinyi Zhuang