Ministerial Statement:Cairns bus information now in real time

[ozbob]

Transport and Multicultural Affairs
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk
25/11/2011

Cairns bus information now in real time

Wasting precious time waiting for the arrival of a bus will be a thing of the past for Cairns residents with the launch of a unique new high-tech program which allows commuters to trace public transport in real time.

Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk today launched the Cairns Real Time Passenger Information System pilot at DFO Westcourt, the site of one of six new electronic bus stop displays in the city.

"This Real Time pilot will run from November 2011 to May 2012," she said.

"The entire Sunbus fleet has been fitted with GPS and 3G modems, relaying real time information on service locations at 25-second intervals to electronic bus stop displays across Cairns, and to an online tracking tool.

"Cairns Real Time demonstrates the government's commitment to providing innovative public transport solutions in regional areas.

"The online bus tracker and electronic bus stop displays will give commuters increased confidence in the usability and reliability of public transport."

Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said in today's time-poor society, it was important for commuters to be able to make well-informed journey decisions.

"Real time will make catching public transport easier by providing accessible and current bus location information," Ms Boyle said.

"Cairns Real Time provides commuters with the ability to see when their bus is due to depart via an online bus tracker or at new electronic bus stop displays across the city."

The new electronic bus displays are at:

    Lake Street Transit Mall
    Stockland Earlville
    DFO Westcourt
    Smithfield Shopping Centre
    Cairns Central Shopping Centre
    James Cook University.

Barron River MP Steve Wettenhall said Cairns residents and visitors can find out where their bus is before they leave their home or office, or via their laptop or tablet while on the go.

"Bus passengers in Cairns will no longer have to run for the bus or wait at bus stops- all they have to do is look at the online bus tracker on www.qconnect.qld.gov.auand they will know exactly when the bus will be at their stop," Mr Wettenhall said.

"Information generated by the system will be used in future planning to improve schedules and route services.

"Our government is passionate about public transport and we are committed to getting it right. That's why we have partnered with Sunbus, and system developer Bacchus Management Systems, to get this pilot up and running.

"Through technology like this we can improve bus service usability and reliability, making public transport a quality travel option for Cairns."

More information on the Cairns Real Time System and the online bus tracker is available at www.qconnect.qld.gov.au.

qconnect is a Queensland Government initiative providing improved passenger transport and greater connectivity and accessibility of services throughout regional, rural and remote Queensland.

[dwb]

Wasn't a Logan City Bus service trial meant to be live in Brisbane by now??

[dwb]

Meanwhile, it also seems that QConnect locations such as Cairns also have google transit when the state capital does not!

[dwb]

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/408443/real-time_information_pilot_queensland_buses_delayed_until_2012/#closeme

Real-time information pilot on Queensland buses delayed until 2012
Initially slated to commence this month, the 12-month trial will begin early next year

Chloe Herrick (Computerworld)24 November, 2011 11:30

Eight months after announcing plans for a 12-month trial of a real-time passenger information system on Queensland buses, the state's transit authority, TransLink, is completing final preparations to begin the trial in early 2012.

The trial, part of the state government's $11.4 million Customer First project, was first outlined in May 2010 and will investigate which types of information delivery are most useful to TransLink customers to inform a wider scale roll out of the technology.

Despite originally being slated for commencement in November 2011, a spokesperson for TransLink told Computerworld Australia the system design had been finalised and the wiring and hardware brackets were currently being added to the 124 Clarks City Logan buses on which the trial will be conducted. However, the installation of the real-time hardware and trial wouldn't occur until early next year with data to become available to passengers from mid-2012.

[ Get the latest IT news on the Australian government and businesses in Computerworld's Business & Government newsletter ]
"The system is designed to deliver real-time information on bus locations and arrival and departure information direct to customers," the spokesperson said. "It will also provide useful information to our bus delivery partners to help them in the day-to-day management of their fleets."

According to the spokesperson, if the trial is successful TransLink also intends to roll the system out across all South-east Queensland buses and ferries.

"The system is being designed to be compatible with other real-time systems to allow future integration with rail and light rail real-time systems.

"Real-time information will primarily be displayed at the point of travel via monitors on buses and at bus stops and stations, but also via TransLink's standard and mobile websites.

"Audio next stop announcements will form part of the on-bus information and TransLink is investigating the installation of on-demand audio announcements for the kerb-side displays."

German transport company, INIT, won the tender to create the system and has previously installed similar systems in Vancouver, Dublin and Dubai.

[Set in train]

Meanwhile, it also seems that QConnect locations such as Cairns also have google transit when the state capital does not!

Sure, the bus stops are activated, but there is no specifc mapping layer market 'Transit' as per Adelaide or Perth, that system is much better!

[dwb]

You may not be able to hit the transit layer and then click on a stop, but you can ask for directions and then click on transit. I presume the other stuff will come sooner or later, and then further down the track if they ever publish the live data, live data too!