Mobile Technology & Public Transport
I remember reading a few years back something which put a lot of public transport’s renaissance (worldwide, not just in New Zealand) over the past few years down to the iPod. Their argument was that being able to listen to music on your iPod, without the hassles of skipping Discmans or bulky Walkmans of previous generations (and their inherent capacity issues) made public transport a more attractive transport option than it had been previously. While I’m not sure how important the iPod has been, certainly in the time since I first had an iPod I certainly noticed that it made public transport trips – particularly longer ones – far more pleasant an experience.
Over the past few years we have seen an explosion of mobile technologies – such as the Blackberry, the iPhone and now the iPad. All these technologies make it possible to check your email, surf the internet, read a book and do various other stuff no matter where you are. Generally as I catch the bus into work each morning I listen to music while reading the mobile version of the NZ Herald on my phone (tip, I sit near the back of the bus so I am elevated, it seems to help minimise nausea).
The interesting thing is that obvious you can’t do any of this (well, aside from listen to music or the radio) while driving your car. You simply can’t check your email, or surf the internet or update your facebook status or whatever while you’re driving (well unless you have some really fancy gadgets). I just wonder over the next few years as mobile technology (mobile internet particularly), becomes more affordable and widespread, whether this will have an impact on the desirability of public transport. I note that some public transport advertisements on the backs of buses have people saying “I can check my emails on the bus” or something similar to that – which would certainly be an attraction to a business-person (saves them wasting the first 30 minutes of their workday on the task).
Enabling a productive use of commute time would seem to potentially have some enormous economic benefits as well. Maybe NZTA should take this into consideration when formulating cost-benefit analyses of transport projects?
Do you think that the boom of mobile technology will have an impact on the attractiveness of public transport to commuters?
It would be nice if ARTA would publish the real time data as an API onto their system then some people could write GPS applications for Blackberry / iPhone / … so that people can find out how long until the next bus / train / … etc… is. I’d guess that sort of mobile technology would have an impact on the attractiveness of public transport.
I think definitely. Once WiFi is free and everywhere, people can be doing work on netbooks on trains/buses and their time is constructive, as opposed to sitting in a car doing nothing.
Lawyers and the like can even bill for their commutes, which I’m sure is attractive for employers!
I always thought it could have been a major advantage of the Auckland-Hamilton rail service – if it had onboard wifi and power-points for laptops. Those two hours could have been highly productive, whereas the people who commute between the two cities at the moment generally have to write off about three-four hours of their day getting there and back.
Apl, that’s getting a bit technical for my knowledge, but certainly ARTA seem stuck in the stone age to some extent with their technological know-how. With GPS trackers on each bus and train, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to find out EXACTLY where the vehicle we want is.
I agree Jarbs. I use my phone the entire time I am on the train doing all of the things you mention, I even quite often post messages on here from my phone while on the train. It is one of the many reasons I catch it rather than driving. Adding free wifi to trains should be done and would give a huge boost the popularity of the service and wouldn’t cost that much (they have it in planes now in many places overseas). Buses are probably a bit harder as there are just so many of them.
As with everything it just needs to be advertised right. Perhaps its time for some fresh thinking in the ARTA marketing department
If it weren’t for mobile connectivity, my trial that started last November (see my blog) to try to use PT as my main means of getting around for my small business would never have got past November.
Being able to whip out my laptop and get online while moving – on the train or ferry, and after I’d replaced a couple of parts, on the bus too) has turned a lot of PT trips into productive time. Being able to do this has more than made up for increased off-peak travel time.
Last week I fixed a phone fault in Northcote while waiting for a train at Kingsland (it was late).
Being productive while on the move is me stealing Joyce’s favourite phrase “time savings” and applying it to public transport
On the Waiheke ferry it’s a common sight that people do productive work on their laptops (or play games/write emails/etc). Fullers doesn’t provide a wi-fi hotspot on board, unfortunately, and cellphone coverage can conk out on the harbour (despite the floating container adverts). And the number of powerpoints to plug into is severely limited.
On an unrelated topic, have you been on Wellington’s airport bus? They have the air departures board on the bus. Certainly makes gettig to the airport less stressful
TopCat, I caught that bus early last year… don’t think they had upgraded them yet.
I don’t get the departures info shown on the Flyer, it’s for planes that are leaving within the next 30 min and if you are still on the Flyer in town 30 min before your plane is leaving that’s a problem…
Why mobile technology? Why work even more???
The main advantage of public transport remains being able to read a good book. Well, if that doesn’t make you sick, I guess 
Well with the driving skills of some of our bus drivers, it pays to keep your eyes on the road, not a book
It’s great, one of the best things about taking a 40min bus ride to work rather then a 20min drive was reading a book on my cellphone. Unfortunately i had to start driving again, as the bus didn’t get there until 5min after i was supposed to start work.
Ingolfson, I certainly don’t use my mobile technology to do more work
I agree it’s a positive boon, but I still nurse an ambition to somehow sabotage the inevitable plans to bring wireless and mobile coverage to the Underground. It’s one of the few small pleasures of commuter life to observe some twerp prattling on their mobile when the tube goes from an open line to subterranean. The look of confusion and loss when the signal cuts out on their Vital Conversation is worth the fare alone.