The Tasmanian government announced in July 2024 that real time tracking for Tasmanian public transport will be available soon.
Real time tracking lets people using public transport see where the bus or ferry they are waiting for currently is and when it’s estimated to arrive at their stop. This live information can be very different to the timetable, particularly when services are affected by issues like traffic congestion or breakdowns.
Real time tracking will be rolled out across Tasmania including:
- Buses statewide operated by Metro Tasmania, Tassielink, Kinetic, Manions Coaches & Calows Coaches — but not school buses.
- Ferries between Bellerive & Hobart operated by Derwent Ferries — and presumably in future the other ferries being planned.
How will it work?
A fully re-designed version of the Metro Tas app was released in mid 2024. This new app will show real time tracking of buses when the data is made available.
Real time tracking will also be shown on Google Maps and likely also on other third party public transport apps.
Our thoughts
Having this live information means people can plan their travel more easily and make more efficient trips. Knowing about delays and service disruptions allows people to adjust their travel plans rather than just helplessly waiting at the bus stop. This goes some way to minimising the frustration and helplessness that reliability issues provoke. Overall the public transport experience will be better and people will be more inclined to travel on buses & ferries — clearly a good thing.
Real time tracking has been available for public transport in cities around Australia and the world for many years. It’s a standard feature of modern public transport systems and has been a long awaited in Tassie. In other words… about time.
It’s not clear why school buses won’t be included. Possibly it’s a decision made based on child safety concerns. However there’s clear convenience and safety benefits for parents who can see exactly where their kid’s school bus is. It seems like a missed opportunity to get more kids going to school on public transport instead of being driven.
Where’s it at?
Due to be available for Hobart buses before the end of 2024.
Will be progressively rolled out to other areas and services after that.
More info
Tasmanian Minister for Transport media release
Metro Tasmania announcement