Transport for NSW has announced that physical distancing and passenger occupancy notifications are now available for people using the Opal Travel app for trips on Sydney Trains and Metro.
Minister for Transport and Roads, Andrew Constance said eligible passengers would be able to receive real-time alerts based on the capacity for the service they typically travelled on, as well as the usual advice on track-work, delays and major incidents.
“The new feature is a world-leading piece of innovation that uses real-time capacity and predictive data to help customers make better choices when travelling,” Mr Constance said.
“We have already implemented the green dots across the network, and the notifications are another way we can help maintain physical distancing and keep people COVID safe.”
He said Transport for NSW had worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Tigerspike, and AppJourney to deliver the COVID Safe travel notifications in just 12 weeks.
He said the app proactively identifies common journeys made by passengers.
“This enables the app to track trip information and send alerts based on capacity levels for those specific services, all ahead of time,” the Minister said.
“To receive notifications passengers need to be travelling regularly over a 21-day period via Sydney Train or Metro,” he said.
“They need to ensure their Opal card is active and have the latest app installed on their mobile device.”
Director, Public Sector in Australia and New Zealand for AWS, Iain Rouse said the collaboration was another example of how technology could help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
