Entire COTA fleet now has WiFi

The Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority announced yesterday that it is now has free WiFi on all COTA vehicles.

“The free WiFi service is part of COTA’s effort to launch a state-of-the-art next-generation fare collection system, transit application, and route tracking service,” said marketing specialist John DLG Demapan. “The service will work on all devices that have WiFi capability, so whether you are an incoming passenger arriving into Saipan and headed to the designated quarantine facility site, making your way to the clinic for an appointment, attending a class at the Northern Marianas College, going to your place of employment, or making a trip to the grocery store, COTA keeps you connected to the worldwide web. Just bring your cellphone, tablet, or laptop, and enjoy the free WiFi connectivity right in the palm of your hands.”  

Alfreda Maratita, who heads COTA as the special assistant for Public Transportation, said that connectivity is key in this day and age. “Now more than ever, especially as we continue to support the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, we understand how important the role technology plays in our everyday lives and how vital it is to keep up with these ever-changing demands and provide our riders with the tools and services to meet their needs,” she said. “Free WiFi is a huge step in the right direction toward improving our services at COTA. We would like to thank Docomo Pacific for their swift services and continued partnership to execute these efforts. Our goal is to be able to offer this as an early Christmas present for our current and future riders. We are elated that we are able to accomplish this for our community.”

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said that COTA continues to work hard this year on enhancing its services, especially in providing safe transportation for all arriving travelers into the CNMI.

“Everyone at COTA—from special assistant Maratita to our bus drivers to the dispatchers and administrative support staff—have worked diligently this last year, and they continue to innovate with these new services for our passengers. Lt. Gove. [Arnold I.] Palacios and I continue to make public transportation a top priority, and we look forward to expanding routes and services for our people, so they can choose public transportation for their day-to-day lives. Beyond the pandemic, it is our hope that our expanded public transportation system will help people get to new job opportunities, assist students get to class, and safely transport our man’amko to doctor appointments.” (PR)