Keolis Downer is partnering with AECOM, CSIRO/Data61, JYW Consulting and the University of NSW to provide passengers on-demand mobility services in the Northern Beaches of NSW and Sydney’s North West. Trials on the NSW coast will start in October 2017, and in Sydney in early 2018. These will deliver reliable and affordable first and last mile services that meet local needs and encourage the use of public transport.
The first pilot project will provide in the Northern Beaches area in connection with the B-Line rapid transport services. Passengers will be able to book a vehicle to pick them up from their home or nearest designated stop and take them to the closest transport hub.
The second pilot will service Sydney’s rapidly growing city of Ryde/Macquarie Park precinct within a 15 kilometer radius. The service is aimed at providing a more direct personalized journey for commuters and students looking to travel within the Macquarie Park precinct.
The pilots will help the NSW Government fulfill objectives stated in its Future Transport Technology Roadmap. These include unlocking the full value of the existing transport network, whilst personalizing transport services to create a better experience for customers.
The pilots integrate with existing transport services to improve mobility for all passengers, on both high demand and low demand routes providing faster, safer and more convenient trips. Passengers will be able to book and pay for their journey online, by phone or via a free mobile app, and will have access to real-time journey information.
“We are excited to collaborate with Transport for New South Wales to transform the NSW public transport network by implementing innovative on-demand transport services. By providing better ways to travel we aim to make public transport the first choice for people while increasing efficiency of operations and enhancing passenger experience.” said Leila Frances, Keolis Downer chairwoman, and Keolis president of the Middle East region and Hyderabad in India.
Keolis Downer already runs on-demand transport services in South Australia. Keolis Downer is the first private operator in Australia to operate a multimodal network in Newcastle. The group also operates the tram networks in Melbourne and the Gold Coast, and bus networks in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
