23 July 2015

Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay today announced the release of two new road and public transport comparison apps which use real-time road data to give users all the information they need to make the best trip planning decisions.

“These new apps are great – they allow you to type into your phone where and when you’re going and the app will tell you what the fastest route is at that exact time,” Mr Gay said.

“The NSW Government helped create these incredibly clever apps to give commuters an additional service to help them move around with ease in whatever mode of transport they choose to use.
“This government is not only delivering transport upgrades, but also technology to get users to their destinations faster and with more ease.

“No longer do you have to wonder what the traffic will be like on any particular morning – these apps make your phone like a pocket sized crystal ball.

“Commute and Commuter NSW are the two newest apps to help customers plan their journeys by providing comparison information on driving and public transport travel times, the best route options and optimum time to leave.

“One of the handy features of these apps is that customers can find out about incidents along their planned route and find alternatives to avoid congestion and delays - all before they start their journey.

“The apps will be particularly handy during the upcoming changes in and around the CBD while the CBD Light Rail is under construction.

“We collaborated with private app developers to produce the apps, two of which are brand new and another four which were released to customers through the App Store and Google Play in March earlier this year.

“We know there is an appetite and demand for digital tools to plan trips, compare modes and calculate the ideal departure time – which is why we keep encouraging and teaming up with the developer super stars, to continually build on tools available for our customers.

“Customers can now pick the app which suits them best from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
“App developers were given access to Roads and Maritime and Transport for NSW data which they have each used differently to present travel time estimates to all types of commuters and road users.”
Auto is for customers who have a number of locations they often travel to and want to see the current estimated travel time to help them plan when to leave.

Plan A helps customers with a busy schedule who want up-to-date information on congestion, suggested travel times and alerts for when to leave.

EasyDrop is for commercial delivery drivers who want an interactive tool to manage their daily delivery schedule, plan for the fastest routes and be up-to-date with traffic conditions.

Snarl gives up-to-date information about road incidents and congestion across the road network and close to the customer’s travel route or location. Commute is for commuters to compare multiple transport options and can predict where the customer wants to travel based on previous entries as well as the user’s calendar events. Commuter NSW compares public transport and driving times in a single view and how these travel times change based on different departure times. Customers can also record daily travels which can then be re-used to predict the duration of the trip in current traffic situations.

The new apps follow the tremendous success of the original suite of public transport apps including Arrivo Sydney, NextThere, TransitTimes+, TripGo, Triptastic and TripView, which have had more than 2.1 million new downloads since the NSW Government’s real-time app project began in November 2012.

MEDIA: Vanessa Juresic | 0419 618 081

View the original media release.