MEMPHIS, Tenn.– The Memphis Area Transit Authority has partnered with LeMoyne-Owen College to help riders with tech assistance, including navigating the Go901 app on their phones.

“Public transit is not a last resort but a necessary component to a vibrant and forward-moving community,” said MATA Chief of Staff Bacarra Mauldin.

That’s why MATA and LeMoyne-Owen College have partnered to create the Go901 TECH team.

“This team of students will be in the community, starting at our transit centers. Right here, as well as at our community events to help Memphians use the Go901 app and all of the great technology that we’re bringing to a local transit center near you,” Mauldin said.

The app will help the riders schedule rides, purchase tickets and day passes, and help them use a tracker to locate their bus.

“As recent as last spring, we focused on technology offering a symposium to explore even more possibilities for our students,” said Dr. Vernell A. Bennett-Fairs, President of LeMoyne-Owen College.

MATA’s CEO Gary Rosenfeld said when the company first introduced WiFi on board they saw a huge amount of utilization. He believes launching this partnership will help the city overall. 

“The vast majority of passengers we know and surveyed have smartphones. They may not necessarily use them to their full extent and we hope that this partnership with LeMoyne-Owen will enable these young people to be able to teach people how to get the most out of their personal investment but also the most out of opportunities that are present for people,” Rosenfeld said.

Students will be paid $15 per hour.

The Go901 app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play.