Egged, Israel’s largest bus lines and one of the largest bus companies in the world, announced this morning a launch of a very innovative service through Google’s personalized homepage gadgets, iGoogle.  Egged recently launched its 2800 program, a service that allows passengers to use SMS to request up-to-date schedule information as well as information regarding which bus lines to use for specific trips.  This new service provides the same information via a search box embedded into iGoogle.

According to Globes, “Examples of wording in free text queries are “from Tel Aviv to the Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem;” “From Kanion Hazahav Rishon LeZion to Rishonim railway station;” “Bus No. 1 Jerusalem, tomorrow evening,” and so on. The information will be provided from Egged’s passenger information service and will be identical to the response to someone who sends a query by SMS, searches for information on the company’s own website, or contacts the call center in person.”

High tech meets low tech.  Next time 300 passengers are clamoring to hop on a bus that seats 60 from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, they’ll be happy they have SMS or iGoogle access to find out when the next bus leaves.

Zack Miller
IsraelNewsletter.com

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