South Australian State Government could extend the offer of free Wi-Fi services to Adelaide’s entire public transport network by December.
The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) is calling for expressions of interest (EoI) for a company or a consortium to provide and operate the services - the EoI can be bundled as a package or by public transport mode to separate entities.
DPTI expects the service to be offered at no or minimal cost, with the EoI also set to include a description of how data protection and user’s privacy will be managed, including details of what data or content, if any, would be on sold to third parties.
In addition, applicants should include information on installation and maintenance and any potential costs for the Government.
Tram commuters already have access to free Wi-Fi, but the State Government want to extend the services to include its 893 buses, 136 train cars and the 21 trams plus three due to delivery later this year.
Almost 70 million people use public transport every year in Adelaide, with 80 per cent of those travelling by bus.
“We are always looking for ways to improve the public transport experience and encourage more people to catch our buses, trains and trams,” Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Stephen Mullighan, said.
“What we’re seeking is high quality and reliable internet access which is simple and easy to use.”
The expressions of interest will close on 10 August, with services expected to be running by December.
“This initiative is in addition to other improvements including making it easier to use public transport with $22 million in this year’s State Budget to put on more services more often,” Minister Mullighan added.
