Seminole County Adds Vehicles, App Tools to Fix SCOUT Delays

Seminole County moved this week to bolster SCOUT, its on demand microtransit service, after heavy early use led to long waits for some riders. Since launching in October, SCOUT completed more than 20,000 rides. County officials and the vendor said they will increase capacity and provide riders with more accurate wait time information.

A test ride in November resulted in a pickup delay of one hour and 36 minutes after a trip was booked at 1:58 p.m. The total journey stretched to nearly two hours once additional passengers were picked up en route. When the team tested the service again on Monday, a ride booked at 12:35 p.m. arrived in four minutes. Officials say that variability in waits has driven the county to add vehicles and staff.

Commissioner Amy Lockhart explained the county's approach, saying, "Our vendor Freebee is doing a couple of different things. We have new vehicles being purchased, seven new additional vehicles. More staff is being added." The seven added vehicles raise the fleet from the 35 vehicles contracted in May to 42 vehicles in total. Lockhart called the demand for SCOUT "incredible" and said about 30 percent of riders are part of vulnerable populations including income constrained residents, seniors, and people with disabilities.

The SCOUT app now includes a wait time planner that lets riders enter pickup and drop off locations and choose Leave Now or Leave Later. The planner provides an estimated wait time plus an hourly table showing average waits throughout the day. Estimates are drawn from ride data from the past two weeks, with officials warning that actual wait times may vary.

County leaders stress that SCOUT is intended to complement fixed route buses, not replace commercial ride hail services. Scaling the service ahead of scheduled reductions in some bus routes before the new year is a priority, since many riders rely on SCOUT for first mile and last mile connections. For daily commuters who already use SCOUT five days a week to reach Sanford, the service presents a lower cost option and growing reliability as the county adds resources. The additional vehicles and staffing are expected to be in service soon.