A new feature of the app will inform Sydney passengers of a full train to prevent the transport network from becoming a hot spot for COVID-19.
Opal Travel App – What Is It?
Users of the Opal Travel app now have the option to subscribe to app notifications that tell them when their normal travel is at risk of overcrowding.
“We will use all available technology to keep people safe.” NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said.
Who Are The Developers?
The new feature was released in just 12 weeks by a team of technology firms, including Amazon Web Services, which worked with NSW’s transportation management.
The government paid $ 500,000 for this feature, which uses a range of data points to determine whether each user can end up on a crowded train or not.
Throughout the coronavirus epidemic, Australian government agencies have made good use of the data collected from residents on a daily basis to keep track of human trafficking and to prevent infection.
How Does It All Work?
When using public transportation, Sydney passengers left a lot of details behind, from each Opal card box to the act of sitting on the train.
Authorities measure the weight of trains for trains and then measure the extra weight per passenger to calculate how close the class is to capacity.
This new service uses that data and information about common commuter travel practices to predict whether they might have a social problem in the railway network.
Mr Constance also took the opportunity to urge passengers to wear masks, saying there were concerns that the use of masks had decreased as state coronavirus numbers had recently become dominant.
The minister said he hoped the Sydneyersiders would wear their faces voluntarily, and that the government did not want to exercise authority.
“We do not want to send you. We do not want to take action, be it a fine or a refusal to work, ”said Mr Constance.
