ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — St. Pete Beach officially started a new, free, eco-friendly way to travel around the Pass-A-Grille area of St. Pete Beach this week: the "Freebee" micro-transit bus service.
- Electric, oversized golf cart bus can carry 5 passengers
- Passengers can "flag down" the Freebee by phone call or app
- Route begins at Don CeSar, goes south to Pass-a-Grille
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“It’s sized right for what we’ve got,” said Mayor Al Johnson. “We’re really excited about it.”
The electric oversized golf cart bus can carry up to five passengers. Riders can summon the Freebee by flagging it down with a phone call or preferably with an app.
“When you press on the app you communicate with your driver directly,” said Transportation Director Michelle Gonzalez. “So, they’ll let you know, ‘I’m here, I’m finishing a ride. We’ll be here in 10 minutes.’ So, you have that communication. You won’t be guessing, where’s your bus?”
The Freebee’s route begins at the Don CeSar Hotel and goes south to Pass-A-Grille. This will be the Freebee's first weekend operating in the City.
“The money we saved on the PSTA busses, we paid for these guys,” said Johnson. “You don’t have to tip them. There’s no tipping allowed.”
One Freebee bus will cost the City $132,000 to operate annually, but that figure will be offset by advertising and sponsors. The Freebee bid provides for three years of service with an option to extend the contract.
“We are planning to expand it around June, so, I’d say Summer of 2020 to County Park,” Gonzalez said. “The City’s providing this for the community, our residents and our visitors.”
The Freebee app is available on Google and Apple devices under the name ‘Ride Freebee.’