Greyhound Australia has installed Wi-Fi on 13 of its Bowen Basin mining coaches, in what the company said was a world first for the resources sector.
Greyhound Commercial manager Ben Tune said the introduction of wireless internet would not only provide an opportunity for workers to relax on the way home, but also help companies get miners out of cars and onto buses.
“There are inherent dangers involved in commuting to and from work in the Bowen Basin and miners often travel long distances at night and on remote roads,” Tune said.
“Offering Wi-Fi on a coach is an added incentive for workers to rest and unwind in comfort and safety, and it means fewer cars on the roads.
“It also offers FIFO miners a chance to Skype or email their families at the end of the day.
Greyhound spokeswoman Ann Hooper said that camp-to-jobsite journeys averaged about 30 minutes, with transfers from camps to major hubs including Mackay, Rockhampton and Townsville ranging from two to seven hours, making the addition of Wi-Fi a welcome distraction.
“As far as we know, this is a world-leading service for the resources sector,” Tune said.
Hooper told ILN that the company serviced 11 mining clients in the region, including all major mining companies and contractors.
The company’s contracts with mining companies in the Bowen Basin range from $100,000 to over $10 million. Due to confidentiality agreements, Hooper could not specify which companies would benefit from the new and improved buses.
Greyhound general manager for resources Mike Goodall said the company was aiming to deliver first-class travel for all of its passengers and benefits for mining companies.
“We’re taking it up to the airlines in terms of passenger experience,” Goodall said.
“We want to offer ways to turn bus travel into productive time by making use of our Wi-Fi technology to conduct employee site inductions or online training on the coach. We expect this will result in cost savings for mine companies.”
Greyhound expects to install Wi-Fi on its buses in other mining regions as demand grows.
