School kids and other bus customers in Parkes and Forbes will soon be able track the arrival of their bus in real-time, as new technology rolls out on buses across regional NSW.
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Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the technology rolling out on 22 buses in Parkes and 22 buses in Forbes will allow customers to track the location of a bus, its estimated arrival at a stop, and how full the bus is.
"We've already rolled this technology out in six regional centres, and expanding that to Parkes and Forbes will mean even more customers can see exactly when their bus will be arriving," he said.
"For mums and dads, it will help them track the arrival of the school bus, and for passengers, it means less time waiting at the stop and more time at your destination."
Grant Hennock from Forbes Bus Lines said this new technology will roll out across their regular buses and school buses.
Mr Hennock said it will help parents keep track of where their kid's school buses are on their routes.
The school buses run by Forbes Bus Lines previously had animal inspired names for their routes but now have service numbers.
Mr Hennock said parents can keep track of their children's school buses by typing in the service number or the animal inspired names.
Forbes commuters can also also track and receive real-time trip updates for town bus runs.
Mr Hennock said that commuters can also plan their trip in the AnyTrip app by clicking on the designated bus stops and finding out the bus routes that pass through that location.
Member of the Legislative Council Sam Farraway said Western Road Liners will be rolling out the technology on five regular routes and 21 school routes in Parkes, and Forbes Buslines will be rolling out the technology on three regular routes and 20 school routes in Forbes.
"This technology will change the way communities move around the region, better connecting the Parkes town centre to the hospital and schools, and in Forbes, it will provide connections to the Riverside Tourist Park, Forbes Hospital and Forbes town centre," Mr Farraway said.
"The data collected from the program will also assist operators and Transport for NSW with planning services and making improvements to benefit the community.
"This is just another way the NSW Government is strengthening our public transport offering right across the regions and builds on the addition of 45 additional weekly services across the Parkes network last year," Mr Farraway said.
Mr Toole says the launch of this technology is a huge step forward for people travelling in regional areas.
"It shows our ongoing commitment to make public transport a first-choice option as we build a safer, stronger regional NSW," Mr Toole said.
You can use the Transport for NSW Trip Planner tool at https://transportnsw.info/trip or third-party public transport apps found here https://transportnsw.info/apps.
Mr Hennock said their town services include two low-floor buses which cater for passengers with low mobility. For more information on Forbes Bus Lines, visit their Facebook page.
