12 July 2015

Wi-Fi brings Perth transport into the 21^st Century

Shortly after I was elected to Parliament in 2013 I called on the Public Transport Authority to install Wi-Fi across Perth’s public transport network, starting with city train stations and the suburban rail network.

I said at the time that in the modern age Wi-Fi was an expected feature rather than a luxury item and that it would be welcomed by both tourists and regular users of the network. I also pointed out that many systems across the globe had embraced Wi-Fi through third party providers that resulted in no cost to users or to the system itself.

Despite their initial resistance, the PTA have now come into the 21^st century with today’s announcement that they have invited tenders to install Wi-Fi on trains and buses travelling through a wide range of suburbs plus the central Perth train stations and bus ports.

Tenders are invited until 1 September. From there, a trial service will run on 10 trains on all lines with the length of the trial to be determined.

Research conducted in 2014 by Transperth showed 38 per cent of bus passengers and 36 per cent of train passengers were aged between 18 and 25.

This group of regular public transport users in particular is an attractive target market for advertising, which would enable any selected service provider to recoup the costs of providing Wi-Fi from advertisers.

Perth is fast becoming an international city, with a growing population and with millions of visitors each year, so it is great to see the State Government improving the experience on the public transport system through the provision of W-Fi.

I will monitor the tender process and the ensuing trial service to ensure that we get a high-quality, cost-effective solution. In an ideal world, and with the correct incentives in place, the service could be provided at no cost to either commuters or taxpayers!