AS OF AUGUST 20 this year – as part of a Transport for NSW trial of on-demand public transport – Australia’s Transit Systems-owned BRIDJ introduced services designed to connect local residents, as well as local and international visitors, between the Bondi area and Rose Bay Ferry, it’s reported.
The BRIDJ technology uses data to route mini-buses in real time, subscribing to a demand-responsive model that works on passenger clustering for streamlined pick-up and drop-off points. The program can even re-route to actively avoid congestion when possible, it’s stated.
BRIDJ general manager John Langford-Ely said the trial will offer faster and more convenient public transport connections to and from the Sydney Ferry network.
“On weekdays, residents throughout Bondi, North Bondi and Dover Heights will be able to connect to and from the Rose Bay ferry in peak times more conveniently than ever before. From Rose Bay wharf, customers will be able to travel anywhere on the Sydney Ferry Network, including Circular Quay, Barangaroo and North Sydney, with travel times often significantly shorter relative to their current options.
“On weekends, we will deliver local and international visitors with all-day connections to and from the Bondi area and Rose Bay ferry and areas in between. After taking in the beauty of Sydney Harbour, it’s an amazing combined travel experience for visitors to Bondi.
“We are excited to deliver the trial into an area where it can fill a gap and operate cohesively with services already available, by better connecting commuters and tourists with existing public transport networks,” he said.
The trials are being conducted in conjunction with Transport for NSW (TfNSW), and commuters can simply download the BRIDJ app via the App Store or Google Play, book a dedicated seat using OpalPay or Credit Card and enjoy free Wi-Fi on board one of the BRIDJ 16-seater mini-buses. The cost of a one-way journey is AUD$3.10, or AUD$1.50 for concession card holders.
“We are excited to arrive in Rose Bay and have estimated some travel time savings of up to 30 minutes into major hubs, such as Circular Quay – especially relevant when you consider there is no traffic on the water and the bonus is the scenery. Customers can also enjoy a fully connected experience, with customers able to pay using their Opal Cards and able to use free Wi-Fi on both BRIDJ buses and the Sydney Ferries.”
Langford-Ely said BRIDJ is a service that will grow and evolve with feedback and input from the community.
“We are learning so much through the on-demand trials. The trials add valuable data and feedback to the network planning and enable a continuous improvement of services. We are continually developing our technology to become even more intuitive and responsive to what commuters want in different locations.
“We will continue to work with the government to develop an on-demand public bus solution that people want to use and is sustainable. We encourage commuters to submit feedback so we can continually improve.”
BRIDJ will operate weekday mornings from 06:00am – 09:00am; Weekdays afternoons from 3:00pm – 9:00pm; and weekends from 8:00am to 8.30pm.
SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS:
– Getting to Circular Quay – save between 15-30 mins from the catchment zone vs public transport/taxi/car.
– Getting to North Sydney – save between 10-20 mins from the catchment zone vs public transport/taxi/car.
– Getting to Barangaroo – save up to 15 minutes when compared with public transport and save time and money versus driving your car and trying to find parking.
– Easy connections to the Manly fast ferry weekend service (this service leaves from Rose Bay and takes 30 mins to Manly).