Monroe County transit authority's Pocono pony bus service is unveiling a new mobile app to book a shared ride, and you get a great deal on that ride. The new app will go live this Friday.

Richard Schlameuss MCTA chief executive officer says, "We are bringing our program up to a new level and so we're adding a new software package that will provide our customers better response to the trips make it easier for them to book and then the ride.

Schlameuss tells us customers will also be able to track their trips and make the payment through the app.

Schlameuss says, "The cost for the service is $2 dollars per person every person pays two dollars so if you bring yourself and three other people its eight dollars and regardless of how old folks are."

You can book a ride any time between 6:30 a-m to 6:30 p-m Mondays through Fridays.

Richard says, "It is in two zones the zones are East Stroudsburg, Stroudsburg, and Delaware water gap boroughs and a little bit of independence road and north 5th street in Stroudsburg."

With the second zone covering Mount Pocono and parts of Pocono summit, he says after reviewing the apps previous problems they knew it was time to upgrade.

Schlameuss says, "We were seeing some challenges in for folks to make reservations so they were having challenges getting the trip to book on the system and so we decided that it was time to find a service that would allow that to work more fluently."

The app is now powered by via and will allow for more efficient trip routing, improved ride tracking and an intuitive booking experiences, those without a smart phone can call in reservations.

Schlameuss says, "Its a new app for the customers to see slightly different interface little easier to use you can pin your trip in your locations and identifying the locations where you're going to go to and get picked up from are a little easier."

And if you need to go outside of the shared rides zones, MCTA will continue to run its fixed route bus service to more locations throughout the county. That's offered daily Mondays through Saturdays beginning at 6 a-m and schedules with bus routes can be found on their website in Monroe County Ameenah Thompson for news13.