Real time information tells you when your bus or train will arrive as opposed to when it’s scheduled to arrive.

Fran Wilde, Chair of Greater Wellington Regional Council, says the beginning of the rollout of Real Time Information for Wellington is a great milestone in the Council’s programme of improvements to public transport in the region.

“Most of us have seen and probably used Real Time Information in other places round the world and wished we had it here. Today we join the world of “just in time” delivery. It means that on a wet Wellington winter day we can check online when our bus will arrive and hole up in our offices then dash out to the bus stop just in time.”

Real time information tells passengers exactly when their bus or train will arrive through Global Position System (GPS) vehicle tracking.

“This technology will vastly improve people’s perceptions of bus and train reliability and will help us and the operators identify and hopefully fix problem areas more speedily.”

GO Wellington bus passengers can get real time information through the Metlink website www.metlink.org.nz. It will also be available on display screens that will be installed progressively at key bus stops throughout Wellington city and suburbs over the next nine months. Screens are up and running at Wellington Station interchange, and will go up along the Golden Mile over the next month or two.

Smart phone users will be able to get real time information through Metlink’s mobile site and it will available via txtBUS later in the year.

About 200 screens will be installed at key bus stops, and 45 out of 50 train stations will have real time display screens on the platform.

Real time information will be available for Valley Flyer buses from May 2011, Mana and Newlands buses from October 2011 and for trains next year.

ENDS

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