NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance has claimed advances in technology, such as autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence, will mean governments will soon cease to provide commuter transport services.
The Minister said on-demand services, and big data powered private enterprises would mean the abolition of time-tabled services and the end of government-supplied vehicles within the next 10-15 years.
Mr Constance was talking to The Australian Financial Review to update his plans for NSW to become recognised as a global leader in technology-led transport solutions, which he showcased last year with a high-profile conference featuring Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
In a future vision, which will cause many to question logistical feasibility, he said recently changed regulations, making it easier for point to point transport providers like Uber to thrive in NSW, would soon be augmented by autonomous vehicles, intelligent big data systems and privately run on-demand buses and trains.
"They will be all private. In 10 to 15 years' time government will not be in the provision of transport services, it will be all on demand, private sector driven, underpinned by innovation in technology," the Minister said.
"Already every new train that we are bringing online now, whether it is the Metro train or light rail, are all private sector partnerships."
The NSW government is already in the market for delivery of on-demand buses, which can be booked for vehicles with fewer than 12 passengers, and Mr Constance said he expected commuters, particularly in inner city areas, to be using subscription, automated vehicles within 10 years.
Mr Constance said an earlier move to open up transport data to private developers via APIs meant it was receiving many innovative pitches, which would change the way people looked to commute in the near future.
He has previously exchanged barbs with the government-owned State Transit Authority (STA), which provides some of the state's buses, claiming private operators provide better, more reliable services.
This has led to the Rail, Tram and Bus Union accusing the government of working to totally privatise public transport, something the Minister now appears to be confirming.
"There is always going to be the responsibility of government to deliver community safety in and around transport, and that will become a role of compliance and increasingly contract management may underpin it," Mr Constance said.
Behind much of Mr Constance's plans is an increased use of so-called big data analytics to take advantage of the huge volume of information related to transport in order to tailor services and provide real time information to commuters.
Transport For New South Wales has worked with tech giants including US firm Salesforce which has provided it with a platform to capture all customer feedback in real time across its transport services from online and mobile apps.
The Minister said it was now able to respond much more effectively to customer complaints about network performance, and make better informed plans for future changes.
Free Wi-Fi for all
Mr Constance also said he expected commuters to have access to free Wi-Fi on trains in the near future, following a successful trial of ad-supported services on selected Sydney bus routes.
He said that while the trial had not yet finished, it was likely to be rolled out across the bus and rail network in future.
"Into the future I expect this to be available on trains as well [because] mobile blackspots alongside train lines is something Canberra really needs to rectify," Mr Constance said.
"We are running the bus Wi-Fi trials through the STA at the moment and it is not costing the tax payer anything because we are dealing with a company where they are utilising the provision of free Wi-Fi services in exchange for advertising space."
