Nothing about us without us.
Hailo is a mobile application designed to help overcome public transport inaccessibility.
Interested in helping us make public transit accessible for everyone?
Click here to join the pilot!
The more people we have participating on the Hailo pilot, the better we can make public transport for all. So please share this with your networks so together our impact is greater.
The Hailo app is being trialled in the following regions:
Northern Beaches (BLine only, supported by Keolis Downer Northern Beaches)
Tweed Heads (supported by Kinetic Surfside)
Queanbeyan (supported by QCity Transit)
The Hailo app was designed by electrical engineer Santiago Velasquez and his team at Hailo. As a blind person, a Guide Dog user and the founder of Hailo, Hailo is breaking down barriers and making public transport accessible for all. Santiago, or Santi for short was tired of:
Missing important events like university, work and social outings.
Having to do more planning for a 15 minute trip and still not knowing if it will be successful.
Having to hide in the shade during Summer to make sure his Guide Dog’s paws were not burnt, and then being left behind as a result.
Hearing about friends in wheelchairs stranded on public transport, waiting for someone to see them and deploy a ramp that never came.
Hearing from travellers about having to learn a city’s public transport system and having to overcome language barriers.
Hearing from vehicle operators about the stresses of wanting to do the best by everybody, and difficulties of simultaneously watching rush-hour traffic and looking out for commuters that may not be hailing the vehicle.
Using the Hailo app, commuters can:
Alert bus drivers in advance that they are waiting to be picked up
Communicate their accessibility requirements
Let drivers know where they want to be dropped off
Receive live status updates during their trip
The information is sent to the driver via an alert so commuters do not have to stress about being left behind, or dropped off at the incorrect stop; allowing them to use public transport more often.