With an R ride that costs two euros, you can easily get to almost anywhere in Riihimäki

Kati Laakso gets on the R-kyut from her workplace Wurth. The driver Aila Uitto greets him cheerfully like an old acquaintance, which he is.

"We both play the addictive game Hay Day on the phone and when we meet, we always discuss it," says Uitto with a laugh.

Laakso uses R-kyut at least once a week, sometimes more. He often raves to his coworkers about how convenient it is when you can drive as flexibly as a taxi with a two-euro ticket.

"I am a regular user, although I only discovered local transport with the R-ride. The application is easy to download to the phone. Now I came from work and I'm going home. I've also taken dance lessons, visited my parents' village on the border of Riihimäki and Hausjärvi, and taken care of my own and my child's doctor's trips," says Laakso.

When the family's car was under repair for a few days, business matters were also handled with R-kyut.

"On Saturday morning, I first ordered a ride from home to Prisma at eight and two hours later back from there. The man was surprised at how easy it was, because he hasn't taken a bus in years. The best thing about riding in R is Aila, because she is always so cheerful and friendly!"

A quarter of a time for waiting

Uitto has driven R-kyut for a year. Previously, he drove a service line that collected elderly people from a certain route. It was discontinued, but the line is coming back on a smaller scale.

"The most pleasant part of driving R-kyudi are the customers I get to chat with. Many become acquaintances and it's a boost to the day when I notice on the list that yesss, Saara and Jussi are coming for a ride today."

Sometimes they have to go to another car, because two R-ride cars are moving at the same time. Rides bounce in the ordering system from driver to driver depending on who is closer. Sometimes the customer can unexpectedly get a ride within a minute if the car is nearby just when he makes the order. The system plans a logical route, but the driver can influence it.

"The subscriber writes in the message field which stop he is picked up from. The person ordering the ride is given a 15-minute time slot. When the car arrives at the stop, the passenger is waited for a maximum of three minutes and then a call is made if the customer is not there. Too bad they often don't answer the phone," says Uitto.

There are people of all ages on board. Commuters go to the station or go home from there. There are many trips to the hospital and shopping centers every day. Next, Uitto drives to the shopping center Merkos to pick up a schoolgirl, who has booked two rides there every hour today. The girl is nowhere to be seen and she does not answer the phone.

"He had also booked a ride yesterday, but he wasn't there and he didn't answer the phone. I suspect the same now. I have to emphasize next time that the phone must be answered."

Ride R to the bar

Next, we will pick up a gentleman who has ordered a car for four. But since Uito's last ride is close, he calls to ask if he can come 10 minutes earlier. It fits, and Uitto is sad in front of the mailbox. Let's call Herra Mat, for example, because he doesn't want to tell his name.

"From Morje, Matti, it's nice that you got there earlier," thanks Uitto.

Matti says that on Tuesdays he goes to play keno at the restaurant Old Master. He calls for one month's rides at a time, i.e. pickup from home at 20 and from the restaurant at XNUMX p.m.

"I'm not interested in using the internet or phone apps and that's why I order rides by phone and pay in cash on the bus. It's almost four kilometers to the restaurant, and without an R-ride I wouldn't go to play," says Matti.

You can book a ride by calling until XNUMX on weekdays. You can see where the buses move from the Bus on the map program.

"Sometimes the car can break down. Once, the rubber blew out of the tire. That's when I called the workshop manager, and the men came to change the tire."

Next, Aila picks up Kirs from Vanhainkodintie, who praises the phone app and R-ride.

"I don't live in Riihimäki, but when I visit my daughter, I visit the old people's home to see my grandmother on the other side of town," says Kirsi.

Uitto picks up the last customer from the bus stop and takes him to the kindergarten in Piikinmäki.

"The most challenging thing is staying on schedule. Sometimes you should be in three places at once. Then someone inevitably has to wait, but a call to the customer about the ride being late improves the situation a little. Mostly people are satisfied with the R ride. A couple of customers have said that the family has been able to postpone the purchase of another car thanks to R-kyyt", says Uitto.

The R ride is almost like a taxi

• Riihimäki local transport with the invitation ride service, i.e. R-ride can travel to places and times that cannot be reached by scheduled bus services.
• The R-kyudi bus runs only when there are orders. Passengers traveling in the same direction are combined on the same route. The R-ride schedule is announced in 15-minute intervals so that the combination is successful. The ride costs two euros.
• R-ride can be ordered with Matkahuolto's Routes & Tickets application or by calling 0200 555 35 (Mon–Fri 7am–17pm, Sat 10am–15pm).
• R-kyyti serves the entire urban area and Herajoki working area. R-kyuti picks up at stops, but trips can be requested from address to address. The application or the customer service representative will tell you the right pick-up stop.
• A record 2022 trips were made in Riihimäki's local transport in 219. The last time the same amount was traveled was 000 years ago.
• Schoolchildren and students used local transport the most, about 84 trips. Adults traveling with a one-time and series ticket traveled approximately 000 times in local transport.

Text by Reija Ypyä