A P T N S W logo

Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Fuel price rises spur interest in transit websites

posted Wednesday 30 November 2005
As Australian families feel the pinch of rising fuel prices, motorists are looking online for alternative means of transport, according to online intelligence service Hitwise. Hitwise reports an increase of 18 per cent in the number of visits to public transport websites in September 2005, compared to the same time last year. These include private operator and government websites that offer timetable and route information for bus, rail and ferry services. Transport Infoline (http://www.131500.com.au/) was the most visited website in this category, increasing its traffic by 13.9 per cent between 20 August and 17 September 2005.

Transport Infoline provides updates on service changes and an online travel planner for combined transport modes, for example a bus and train trip. Search terms on "petrol" have increased substantially, with growth of 502 per cent between 2 July and 17 September 2005. Similarly, "fuel" searches increased by 55 per cent over the same period.

(Research News, Australian Market and Social Research Society, November 2005, courtesy "Getting There", newsletter of the Western Sydney Community Forum, Granville NSW.)



Action for Public Transport home page

Twitter Facebook webcounter