EasyRun Shuttle

Overview

• Fleet size: 3
• Key stops: Australian Tax Office & Gosford Train Station
• Peak times: 8-9am & 3-4pm

Launched in December 2019, the EasyRun service links carparks around Gosford CBD to key transport and employment hubs in the CBD. The EasyRun shuttle operates 6am-10pm and provides a vital link for train passengers and other commuters.

The Problem

Gosford rail station is a key commuter hub located in the middle of the Gosford CBD, surrounded by key employment centres. This created a significant amount of parking pressure caused by train users and employees. Central Coast Council converted two peripheral carparks into park and ride facilities, connected to the CBD by the EasyRun shuttle.

Liftango provided the technology layer to the service, allowing passengers to see where the buses were located and also access information about the bus stops and nearby centres. In turn the patronage data collected allowed stakeholders to analyse the usage of the service, the popularity of each stop and patterns of movement by users.

The Solution

Working collaboratively with Central Coast Council, Liftango’s Transit Tracker user interface was deployed in vehicles to provide live access to onboard capacity, patronage recording and automated reporting.

The Results

• ~1000 trips per month patronage tracking
• Reduced CBD parking pressure
• Live onboard capacity and patronage tracking

Learnings

1. Collection of patronage data allows operators and service providers to make better decisions about the service being run. Over 6 months we analysed patterns of movement and were able to suggest adjustments to the service to reduce operating costs.
2. Innovative transport initiatives can result in better use of existing assets. By providing a shuttle service with convenient visual tracking for passengers, Central Coast Council was able to ease parking pressures in the downtown, implement a new short-term parking strategy aimed at encouraging retail post-covid, and showcase an alternative for building more or maintaining existing car park infrastructure in the downtown area.