Cubic Completes Major Expansion of NextBus System in Queensland

Cubic Transportation Systems said its new NextBus real-time passenger information system has undergone a major expansion in the south east corner of the Australian state of Queensland.

This follows the official launch of the new system May 7 by the Deputy Premier & Queensland Minister for Transport, Jackie Trad, enabling NextBus to officially go live on thousands of bus and ferry services across the TransLink public transport system in south east Queensland.

The rollout across the TransLink system follows last year’s trial on the Sunbus bus network on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Jim Perry, the chief operating officer of the Transit Australia Group (TAG), which owns Sunbus and is one of Australia’s largest privately owned transport operators said, “It’s clear that the rollout has been a success and that drivers and customers alike have embraced the system.

“We look forward to working with TransLink and Cubic in the future to maximize the benefits that NextBus can bring to the design and operation of our networks and, ultimately, the customer experience.”

Perry said TAG had always been an early adopter of progressive technologies, in particular those that provide significant benefit to the traveling customer.  

“When we were asked to be the lead operator in the NextBus rollout, I did not hesitate to throw my support behind it,” he said. “In addition to the obvious benefit to the people utilizing our services, NextBus has provided another level of insight and analysis to our operations. The real-time access to data, and the ability to see each and every vehicle on our networks at any given time, has allowed a closer and more efficient relationship to develop between management, operations control, and drivers, and ultimately, to enhance the customer experience.”

Cubic Transportation Systems Australasian managing director Tom Walker said this first deployment of the NextBus system outside of North America is a major landmark for the company, expanding Cubic’s services and capacities in the region.

“We are delighted that Queensland is playing a leading role in delivering on a key component of Cubic’s NextCitystrategy – the integration and application of payment, traveler information and operational analytics to regional transport networks around the globe.”