Transit Systems, a SeaLink Travel Group company – part of the group that transports over 206 million passengers each year, has ensured COVID19 updates, timetables and bushfire crisis information is instantly disseminated across the national network, an Australian first for a bus operator.

It’s no mean feat, when you consider that they have over 2,600 buses on the road across Australia, and 85% of of Transit Systems’ workforce is deskless and may need to get an update, or receive important information based on location, shift or role, according to SeaLink Travel Group CEO Clint Feuerherdt.

“We were in the process of rolling out Blink – the Frontline App prior to COVID19, but it was an incredibly beneficial time to have it as a resource, and remains so critical to our continued operational safety,” he said.

Blink is a globally-recognised platform for secure, private and formal engagement with employees, but offers more than real-time access to policy and procedure documents.

“The essentials are all there but what’s been truly impressive is the uptake by our team and the engagement we have seen on the platform.

“Particularly in regard to COVID19 – we’ve been able to push out real-time alerts in hot spot areas and make our team aware of health agency directives, which has meant we have significantly reduced the risk of employees going to work and potentially spreading the virus.

“As an essential service provider to the community, we take great pride in that outcome, as we seek to safely connect the communities we service, including during lockdown when many essential workers still require public transport to travel to work,” he said.

Team members can also chat with colleagues by posting on the feed, or connecting with other individuals across the business.

“The platform has been invaluable in connecting regional and remote teams - for education, support, learning and laughter – there’s a huge sense of comradery on the chats.

The Blink application is mobile-first, but can be accessed via desktop or tablet, and Mr Feuerherdt said it was another element of innovation within the SeaLink Travel Group.

“We are investing heavily, not just in technology around zero emission networks, with electric bus trials underway, the operation of hybrid vehicles and research into hydrogen capabilities, but also into technology that supports our team to best service the communities we operate in,” he said.

Nearly 100% of employees across the business actively use their account, with over 20,000 comments and messages sent in NSW since the platform launched in 2020, while RiverCity Ferries in Queensland have over 2000 messages and comments since being established in late 2020. Swan and Torrens Transit have 100% active users, with Torrens Transit achieving nearly 1500 comments and messages. Transit Systems Victoria already has over 250 comments and messages since it was launched.