Sydney Public Transport – CitiRail vs iPhone Devs!
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In this gripe, I will be focusing on CitiRail specifically… (and to be honest not just focusing on the iPhone). Some of my fellow Australians and more specifically, Sydneysiders, may have been following the recent articles on the Sydney Morning Herald regarding CitiRail threatening to sue iPhone application developers over using the CitiRail timetable information in their application.
I have to say that I see this as extremely obscure, CitiRail is saying that they do not want their staff to be copping flack from customers because the timetable information does not account for delayed rail services and so forth. My workmate today however posed an interesting question, do they update the distributed paper timetables to include day to day delays? Not that we know of! 
OK granted the nature of having an iPhone app, or an app for any other smart device, would lead you to believe that the information would be current but a short disclaimer would get around this and easily cover CitiRail’s arse.
Personally I can still not believe that the information from Sydney’s rail, bus and ferry services has not been provided to developers via some API (Application Programmers Interface) so that they can get instantly updated information. Then the transit systems would not have to even concern themselves with developing their own applications. This would also permit the very easy integration of transport information from any device such as a WAP enabled phone, to a blackberry and PDAs, so in other words, not just the iPhone.
I am curious to hear other Australian’s thoughts on this though? I mean we all know how wonderful the Sydney public transport system is with the failed TCard Smartcard ticketing system as just another recent example.
So if you are a Sydneysider what do you think? If you are from another state or overseas, how do you think this reflects on Sydney in comparison to your own state?
Also while we are here, how do you think Sydney’s public transport reflects on Sydney as a whole?
Wow, I hadn’t heard about this – that’s crazy! And what’s the difference between using this application or going on the CityRail website to check the timetable?
Regular train users know that delays happen and they usually announce these anyway, so don’t really see the problem.
How does Sydney’s public transport reflect on it as a whole? That’s something I don’t really want to think about, lol.
Erins last blog post..Farewell for now
yes, the API should provided so the timetable able to read by iPhone app or othes app
Agcps last blog post..New LG Cooky (LG-SU910/KU9100/LU9100)
@Erin – yea it is rather insane. LOL and I was actually curious to hear your thoughts as you commute in Sydney 5 days a week LOL.
@Agcp – I agree with you, but if CitiRail is having such a problem with apps for just one platform, I can’t see them releasing an API anytime soon.
*sigh*
that would be great, even better to include blackberry app as well.
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Hi Jinhan,
That would be a pretty good addition to the crackberry erm.. I mean BLACKberry as well LOL (I have not used one personally but I hear good things).
Stuart