“Wind's so strong the whole bus is leaning”🌬️
Live Wellington buses, trains, ferries and the cable car
Wellington public transport: a glorious mess, best seen from the Backseat
Backseat is your unofficial guide to the daily drama of getting around Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Riders post vibes (an emoji and a few words) about what's happening on their bus, train or ferry: delays, detours, and the weird little moments only public transport delivers. You see them on a live map, right above the vehicle.
Open the mapFree. No account, no download.
What riders are saying
A vibe is one rider's take on the trip, right now. The last hour's vibes show above the vehicle on the map, newest first, so you know what you're getting into before it pulls up. It's one person's view, not gospel.
41 vibes posted in the last week
“Very few seats free. School class on here.”😐
“loud aircon but atleast it’s working for once”☺️
“Pretty Aggro bus driver can’t even lie. Honking and blocking”😬
“Very kind driver with a wholesome exchange with polite kids”😊
The latest from riders, live from the app.
How Backseat works
- Find your rideEvery Metlink bus, train and ferry with a live position moves on the map. Tap one, or search for a stop or route number.
- Check the vibeTap a vehicle to see what riders on it said. Tap a stop for its next departures, live where Metlink has them.
- Share yoursOn board? Pick an emoji, add a few words if you like, and post. No account, no name.
My Backseat: your stops and routes, in one place
Tap ♥ on the routes you catch and the stops you use. My Backseat, the middle tab, puts them together.
- Nearest on your routes: with location on, it finds the closest stop on each of your routes, in both directions, and shows the next one coming each way, soonest first. No need to know the stop number.
- Your saved stops, closest first: next arrivals, on time or late, how full, and the vibe on the bus that's coming.
- Saved on your phone, and your location never leaves it. No account, nothing to sign in to.
Every Wellington bus, train and ferry, live
The map shows every Metlink service with a live position, and every stop's next departures (from the timetable where there's no live time).
BusesEvery bus route across the region, live from Metlink.
TrainsThe whole Wellington rail network, with a direction switch at stations.
FerriesTo Days Bay and Matiu / Somes Island.
Cable carThe Wellington Cable Car, from its timetable (it has no GPS).
Bonus: how full it is
Where Metlink sends it, a pill of dots under the vehicle shows how full it is. The number of dots tells you even without colour. Not every vehicle sends it, and trains never do.
- Few seats1 dot, yellow
- Standing2 dots, orange
- Full3 dots, red
- No dotsPlenty of seats, or no reading. Trains never show dots.
Add Backseat to your home screen
It opens full screen with no browser bar, like an app. No app store, nothing to download. Pick your phone:
One tap, on this phone.
iPhone (Safari)
- 1Tap ShareThe square with an arrow up, in the bottom bar (or under ⋯ on newer iPhones).
- 2Add to Home ScreenScroll the list and tap it.
- 3Tap AddBackseat now sits with your other apps. Open it from there.
Android (Chrome; other browsers have it in their menu)
- 1Tap the ⋮ menuThree dots, top right.
- 2Add to Home screenOr "Install app", if you see that instead.
- 3Tap InstallBackseat now sits with your other apps. Open it from there.
Made in Newtown
Backseat was made right here from the comfort of Newtown… where the morning buses are constantly packed and every commute comes with a story. Whether your ride is a bit bumpy, noisy, chaotic, or serene, this is the place to share it for others to know about and enjoy.
Questions
Is it free? Do I need an account?
It's free, with no account, no name and no sign-up. Posting means you agree to the Terms of Use.
What do you keep about me?
As little as possible. A post is saved with a random code for your device, so moderators can stop spam. Never your name, and never your IP address. If you use your location, it stays on your phone.
How are posts moderated?
Every post is checked against a word list, and some are held for a person to look at first. A moderator can remove anything that isn't okay. See something off? Tap the flag on it.
Is Backseat run by Metlink?
No. It's independent, and not run by Metlink or Greater Wellington. Times and positions come from Metlink's open data; the vibes are riders' own.
Who makes it?
Cal, of Callum.digital, in Wellington: the design, the UX and the build.
Got an idea, or found a bug?
Email hi@thebackseat.co.nz, or use Send feedback under ⓘ in the app.
Catching something soon?
See what's going on aboard before you get on.
Open the map