Operating for over 95 years, Howick and Eastern Buses Limited provide buses for public transportation across Auckland, New Zealand. Recently they implemented a major upgrade of their radio network including a new ICOM NXDN digital radio system together with RediTALK dispatch consoles.
A GREAT PARTNERSHIP
The partnership between Signals NZ, ICOM and Omnitronics was key to the success of the implementation. Signals NZ were able to understand the unique customer requirements and recommend and implement a solution that provided the best fit. The entire radio network was upgraded within six days and without interruption to the bus services.
Troy O’Dea, Operations Manager of Howick and Eastern, said “Signals NZ along with ICOM New Zealand provided a new NXDN digital radio and dispatch system that was off the shelf and amazing from day one.”
SIMPLE YET POWERFUL
The Ease of Use of RediTALK was key to the success of the system. The configurable screen layout and simple navigation meant operator training was minimal.
Ian Lisk, General Manager of Signals NZ, confirms this: “The Omnitronics RediTALK despatch system is so easy to use yet so powerful and full of features.”
INTEGRATED SAFETY FEATURES
One of the most effective features of the new radio system is the ability for bus drivers to quickly indicate duress through the press of a button. This sets off an alert onto the RediTALK screen and the operator can then monitor radio to assess the situation.
EFFICIENT COMMUNICATIONS
The integration of RediTALK with the NXDN radio network has added significant value to Howick and Eastern’s operations.
Features such as Individual, Group and All Call has enabled them to quickly and easily select the best means of communicating to the drivers whether it be for important updates, changes to routes or driver welfare checks. Text messages are also used for non-urgent communications.
Dispatch Operators can also quickly review call history and instantly replay transmissions to ensure they have all the details, without requiring the drivers to repeat information.
CONCLUSION
RediTALK has provided a reliable, easy to use and yet powerful dispatch platform on which Howick and Eastern can operate on.
The combination of powerful features such as individual calls, group calls, text messaging, emergency alerts and call history enable operators to gain simple control of the radio network.
In addition, due to the IP network infrastructure and the fact that there is no server, the dispatch network can easily grow as Howick and Eastern continues to expand their operations.
Thanks to Ian and the team at Signals NZ for recommending and effectively implementing the solution.
For more, download our Case Study or view ICOM NZ’s version.