Digital radio system provides location services to Nowra bus fleet

The Hytera DMR system has been installed for Nowra Coaches Group to provide clear and reliable communications over the existing repeater coverage area and make available additional services such as text messaging and GPS-based vehicle location services.

Nowra Coaches Group employs 140 staff, own 40 buses and 24 coaches, and has six offices located along Australia’s east coast. It has operated with an analog two-way radio system for many years to provide communications between control rooms and drivers; however, there were limitations to the system such as areas of poor coverage or dead spots, and numerous instances of inconsistent radio communications with dispatchers at the fringes of radio coverage.

After a demonstration at a bus show of Hytera DMR technology and its ability to provide clear voice and added features like GPS-based radio positioning, the management team decided to replace its existing VHF analog system with a Hytera DMR system.

The solution deployed included DMR MD78X mobile radios, RD98X repeaters and a PC dispatching system. It was installed for the same budget as the analog one and included the functionality of a separate channel for GPS-based radio location services.

The open DMR standard means the company is able to build on the system without being locked in to a proprietary radio technology. Its dispatch staff using the system have experienced: no background noise on transmissions, extended useable coverage range and the ability to make individual and group calls. They also found the IP67-rated vehicle-mounted radios were tough, reliable and simple to use.

The in-built GPS provides dispatch staff with the capacity to answer customer questions on bus arrivals and to better plan the use of resources.