NICE Mini ride-share service launched in Syosset, East Norwich, Woodbury, Plainview, Hicksville

The Nassau Inter-County Express Bus system introduced a new ride-share service Monday for customers in Syosset, East Norwich and parts of Woodbury, north Plainview and Hicksville.

The service is similar to a program NICE introduced two years ago in along Nassau's South Shore.

Officials said the new Syosset area NICE Mini service will run Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will be offered free of charge through Aug. 30.

Additionally, NICE is offering Able Ride paratransit service within the new Syosset Mini zone for all certified Able Ride clients.

Rides can be booked online or by calling 516-228-4173 — though reservations for the Able Ride service need to be booked 24 hours in advance.

All NICE Mini buses are ADA compliant and can accommodate wheelchair riders.

The smaller fleet used for Mini service will operate under a ride share model, meaning there may be additional pickups and drop-offs along the routes, officials said.

Though the service will be free of charge through August, the one-way charge for rides after that will be $2.90, same as the regular fee for NICE bus service.

The fee can be paid by coin, MetroCard or NICE transfer on board a bus or in advance via credit card using the NICE bus app. NICE Mini will not implement "surge prices" — higher fees — during peak travel periods, officials said. Officials noted customers may reserve a Mini ride through the reservations team — or through the NICE Mini app available at the App Store or Google Play.

"NICE Bus is always innovating to remain current with the shifting models and trends in transportation," NICE Bus chief executive Jack Khzouz said in a statement. "With the advent of private ride services in our culture over the last few years, we challenged ourselves: 'How can we provide a similar level of service, convenience and dependability in a public transportation mode?' The answer was our shared ride service Mini, which has been hugely successful since its launch on the South Shore in 2022. Now we are excited to be rolling out our second NICE Mini service for the greater Syosset community."

For more information, visit NICE bus at www.ridemini.com.