Nelson Bus Hub Audio Announcements

Overview of the project

Nelson City Council’s new Bus Hub was designed to make public transport easier to navigate, with improved passenger information on site. To support that goal, Somar Digital used TransitDash’s Stop Announcement tool to create, schedule, and publish audio announcements across 10 indoor and outdoor speakers, helping passengers find the right service and reducing the chance of missed buses.

Audio Announcements Dashboard

TransitDash’s Stop Announcement tool gives Council staff one central place to create, manage, and publish audio announcements across the Bus Hub. Messages can be updated in real time or scheduled in advance, making it easier to deliver timely information with confidence. The tool can also be tailored to reflect the Council’s brand and tone of voice.

Delivering clear, consistent messaging to passengers

Passengers receive clear, reliable audio updates throughout the Bus Hub, making departures easier to follow and reducing uncertainty. This creates a more accessible and user-friendly experience for a wide range of people, including those who benefit from audio-based information.

A flexible, efficient system for Nelson City Council

Council staff can quickly create, reuse, and publish announcements from one easy-to-manage dashboard. This reduces manual effort, improves consistency, and makes it easier to respond to service changes without relying on specialist support.

Features

Queued and Manual Announcements

Staff can create one-off or repeating announcements and send them to selected stops from a single dashboard. They can also view and manage scheduled and active announcements in one place.

Reusable Templates

Reusable templates make it easy to create common announcements quickly and consistently. Templates can include dynamic fields for details like stop names, times, and service information.

Substitutions

Substitutions let staff reuse standard words and phrases across announcements and templates. This helps keep messaging consistent while reducing repetitive manual input

Pronunciation Flexibility

The tool supports International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) pronunciation controls, allowing specific words and place names to be spoken more accurately. This helps create clearer, more reliable audio announcements for passengers.

Scheduling Announcements

Announcements can be scheduled to play at specific dates and times, including outside normal working hours. This helps ensure timely information is delivered without requiring manual intervention.

Settings and User Permissions

System settings can be configured to support preferred playback and default behaviours. Role-based permissions ensure only authorised users can create, edit, or publish announcements.