New phone app will assist older people

A Brazilian man who has made Mayo his home has created a new app designed to aid people with booking train journeys.

Alex Santos was inspired by his work with older people and has developed 'passenger.ie'.

“For the past four years, I've been working as a technology advisor across Mayo, running smartphone classes in community centres in Ballina, Castlebar, Westport, Claremorris, and Achill, backed by Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board. I've also worked with the HSE, CHIME (a deaf support group), and many Men's Shed groups.

“Through that work I kept hearing the same frustration. People eligible for a Free Travel Pass find it difficult to book a train ticket online, either it's confusing or they're afraid of making a mistake. And quite a few end up travelling without a reserved seat.

“So I built passenger.ie it's a straightforward app where you say where you want to go and it handles the booking. What normally takes 38 clicks becomes 10, in under a minute,” said Alex.

The app went live in early December. It is free to download with a €1.99 fee per booking.

“The feedback has been great so far. People are using it and making bookings there and feeling more empowered because they are able to do it themselves. Some older people don’t want to bother their kids and they get a sense of independence being able to do this easily themselves. We are getting great feedback that this is making their life easier and making it easier to move and travel,” said Alex.

He hopes to develop the app to incorporate other modes of transport and ticket types in the future.

Alex said scammers have made some people fearful of smartphone use and his work as a technology adviser aims to help people overcome the anxiety and stress that has resulted from this.

“There have been so many scams everywhere and people are bombarded with news about them and I believe people do have a fear of many things online. I have been showing people how to feel safe and provide them with a few things to keep in mind to help you feel secure on the internet.”