Passio NO!

Passio GO! The literal bane of my existence. The shuttle tracking app just got a brand spanking new update in time for this school year. Apparently, the app “has been improved and is easier to use.” But any developer that has to explicitly state that its app is now “easier to use” is most definitely doing something wrong, and Passio GO!’s 1.4 App Store star rating proves as much.

While it’s frankly apparent that Passio GO!’s updates have not made the app “easier to use,” I’ll happily outline my grievances anyway:

Icon

The icon. Why does a map pin need a shadow? Why is the app the exact same rancid green color as Duo Mobile? My life is already confusing as it is.

Usability

Once you open the app, it's immediately overwhelming and extremely unclear how to do anything.

It took me a long time to figure out you have to click the colorful circle of pain to see how far away the shuttle is from your stop, an even longer time to figure out that to see the order of stops you have to go to Routes < Schedule (or, you can click on Stops to see basically the same information in a more confusing and less helpful way), and an even longer time to realize that the shuttles do not actually follow the stated schedule. I truly find it easiest to locate the physical shuttle on the map and gauge how long it will take before it reaches my stop.

Kheath513 (from the App Store) stated it best in their scathing review: “The app [is] unusable. Half the time it says no connection and [half the time] it’s wrong. I just want to know when my bus will get there. That shouldn’t be that hard.”

Another thing that I really don’t understand: In the Stops section it gives distance in feet, but the map gives distance in meters. Perhaps, they were trying to accommodate people who use different measurement systems. But, really? I can’t see why it’s necessary to go against convention in this way that would confuse people from literally any part of the world.

In an informal poll of my friends, 100 percent said they did not understand how to use Passio GO! The App Store says ages four and up, but I don’t think any level of education could prepare someone to navigate this app meant to help people navigate. Especially not prekindergarten.

Aesthetics

The app interior is so ugly.

Look, I get it. Making an app is difficult (it's not like 50% of the Harvard student body has done it). My true grievance is that Passio GO! is a prime example of Quad negligence. Many quadlings rely on the shuttle system to get to class, especially in less-than-ideal weather. But Passio GO! makes the task unnecessarily difficult. Please, please just improve Passio GO! My sanity and the sanity of the two friends I polled will thank you.