Kinetic is one of the largest bus operators in Australia and New Zealand, with approximately 2,500 buses in each country and operations extending into other international markets. But the story begins much smaller.
THE PROJECT
In 2019, Kinetic started using HASTUS to support SkyBus, a network of approximately 100 buses. What followed was not only a period of growth, but also the development of expertise that would help the organization support larger networks, pursue new opportunities and prepare for the future.
Behind that journey is a team focused on improving network performance, planning services and supporting major tender opportunities.
SUPPORTING A GROWING OPERATION
From that first deployment, HASTUS gradually became part of Kinetic’s planning environment.
Today, we support approximately 2,500 buses across Australia and Singapore through HASTUS. Along the way, Kinetic expanded its use of scheduling, rostering and performance monitoring while continuing to build expertise across its planning teams.
“We started in 2019 with only 100 buses, and we’ve grown exponentially since then.” — John Calabro, Head of Planning and Performance, Kinetic
TURNING EXPERTISE INTO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
As Kinetic expanded its planning capabilities, new opportunities began to emerge.
After implementing HASTUS in Queensland and investing in training, Kinetic developed the expertise needed to support major tender opportunities. That experience contributed to significant contract wins, including the Melbourne Bus Franchise and the Tampines contract in Singapore.
“We’re getting better than expected results. That can mean savings for our clients, or it can mean delivering more service for the same investment.” — John Calabro
SOLVING NEW OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES
Growth also brought new operational realities.
For Kinetic, bus services operating around the clock require careful planning as fleets transition to electric vehicles. Finding the right balance between charging requirements, vehicle availability and service delivery has become an important consideration. Working together, we have explored approaches that help address these requirements while maintaining service quality.
“We’ve leaned on GIRO’s experts extensively for that, and it’s worked out really well.” — John Calabro
INVESTING IN WHAT COMES NEXT
Building expertise is not only about meeting today's needs. It's also about preparing for what comes next.
Kinetic sees strong potential in developments such as HASTUS ATP’s new features, AI-supported capabilities and Rule Generator, helping planners identify opportunities faster and refine operations with greater confidence.
“It’s a great product now, but it will get better in the future as well.” — John Calabro
LEADING THE WAY FORWARD
Nearly seven years after its first HASTUS deployment, Kinetic continues to build on the expertise developed along the way.
From major tenders to fleet electrification, we continue to support evolving operational needs through expertise and collaboration, with HASTUS.
“You’ve got a team to support you over the years while continuously improving the product.” — John Calabro