Jersey City is announcing a partnership with ride-hailing service Via to offer on-demand bus service for city residents for only $2.

Mayor Steven Fulop says it's a response to unreliable service by New Jersey Transit, adding that it's the first partnership of its kind in New Jersey.

“We have been developing a plan over the course of a number of months prior to today in order to make sure we had a service that really worked for the needs of Jersey City,” Fulop says.

Riders will be able to request a bus from their smartphone and be picked up at a nearby "virtual" bus stop.

Service will run Monday through Friday and cost $2 per ride, with discounts for senior citizens and low-income residents.

NJ Transit currently operates 20 bus routes in Jersey City as well as light rail service. A spokeswoman said Thursday the agency has expanded bus service in Jersey City in recent years to meet increasing demand.

The service will be subsidized by the city at a cost of $2 million a year. The service is expected to begin early next year.