More Of These Signs Please

in Auckland Featured Trains by Jon C — November 1, 2011 at 12:05 am | 4 comments

I was in a crowded peak time Western Line train last night - and only when I got out and could see the window as I made way through to the door did I see this sign…

I wished I had seen it earlier! It had been the one journey when I thought I wouldn’t go nuts on accessing the net.

Mid-September Tomizone switched on free Wi-Fi on Link buses but also revealed it was piloting Wi-fi on one train too.

This is a trial and and after six months it may be extended throughout more public transport.

The launch is part of an Auckland Transport six month pilot which will operate with Auckland Council’s already established WI-FI zone. Patrons will be able to utilise the internet free of charge from bus or train to pavement.

In a crowded train, you may not see the sign on the train window. And rushing on board from a crowded Britomart platform (especially with the train late and stopping for only 5 minutes), people are scrambling for a seat not noticing the signs on the window. There’s already plenty of sign clutter in a train.

They need to sing and dance about it and paint the train outside with signs saying this is a Wi-Fi train! It shows public transport is moving with the times and another attractive hook to get people interested.

Like this bus spotted back in July on Auckland streets:

So watch out for the train. It’s SD6026.

And let’s hope more come onstream after the trial.

Tags: wi-fi