Smart Commute: Auckland Transport Real-Time Alerts
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ Easy · Estimated time: ~30–45 minutes
It's 7:30 AM. You're heading to work in Auckland. Is the Northern Express on time? Is there a disruption on the Western Line? You could open three different apps, scroll through alerts, and piece together an answer — or you could just say:
"Is my bus running late? Check the Auckland Transport data and tell me."
And AI checks everything and tells you what matters, in plain English.
That's what we're building. A voice-first workflow where you speak a question about your commute, AI fetches real-time Auckland Transport data, and you get personalised advice — instantly.
Tutorial led by Chan Meng — Senior AI/ML Engineer, open-source contributor, and former ByteDance developer. Chan has built 30+ live applications and specialises in AI-powered solutions. She is also a panel speaker at this event and the developer behind this website.
But first — do you even need this?
There are already some great tools for Auckland commuters. Let's be honest about them.
Already great for most people
"Time to leave" notifications, live traffic, crowd-sourced delay reports, and alternative route suggestions. Free, no setup required.
The official option
Real-time departures, boarding reminders, service disruption alerts, and route subscriptions. Free from Auckland Transport.
Multi-modal planner
Real-time arrivals, service alerts, trip planning across bus, train, and ferry. Free, clean interface.
These apps are excellent. If all you need is "when is my next bus?" then Google Maps or the AT Mobile app will serve you well. This tutorial is for people who want to go further — combining multiple data sources, asking complex questions in natural language, and building custom commute intelligence that no single app provides.
So why use AI + the AT API?
| Capability | Google Maps / AT App | AI + AT API (this tutorial) |
|---|---|---|
| Next bus departure | Yes | Yes |
| Service alerts | Yes | Yes, with plain-English explanation |
| "Is route 62 faster than the train today?" | No | Yes — just ask |
| "Are there delays on any of my 3 commute routes?" | Check each separately | One question, one answer |
| "Give me a morning briefing for my commute" | No | Yes — say it and it happens |
| Custom logic (e.g. "only tell me if delay > 5 min") | No | Yes |
What you will build
Register for the free Auckland Transport API and get your access key
Speak or type commute questions — Gemini CLI fetches real-time data for you
AI analyses the raw data and gives you plain-English commute advice
How it works
You speak a question about your commute (or type it, if you prefer). Wispr Flow converts your voice to text. Gemini CLI fetches live data from Auckland Transport's API, analyses it, and gives you a clear, actionable answer in plain English.
You can either speak your prompts using Wispr Flow, or type/paste them into Gemini CLI. Both work exactly the same way. Wispr Flow is optional — it just makes the experience hands-free. Every prompt in this tutorial works whether you speak it or type it.
What you will learn
- How to register for a free public API and use an API key
- How AI can fetch and interpret real-time data from the web
- How to write prompts that combine data from multiple sources
- How to ask complex commute questions using natural language — by voice or text
- How to work with real-world transport data (GTFS Realtime format)
- How to use voice input with Wispr Flow for a hands-free workflow
No coding required. You will speak or paste prompts into Gemini CLI. The AI handles all the technical work — your job is to ask the right questions about your commute.
Tools
Google's free AI assistant that runs in your terminal. It can fetch web data and interpret results.
Optional voice input tool — speak instead of type. Works in any application, including your terminal.
Free real-time data for all Auckland buses, trains, and ferries. Updated every 30 seconds.
Required to install Gemini CLI. Quick one-time setup.
The command-line app built into your computer. On macOS it is called Terminal; on Windows it is called PowerShell or Command Prompt.
Cost
| Tool | Cost |
|---|---|
| Gemini CLI | Free (1,000 requests/day) |
| Wispr Flow | Free trial (invite link for a free month of Pro) |
| Auckland Transport API | Free (600 calls/min, 35,000/week) |
| Node.js | Free |
| Total | $0 |
Prerequisites
Windows or macOS. No special hardware needed.
Take your time — there's no rush. You can pause and come back anytime.
You don't need to live in Auckland, but the data is Auckland-specific. Great for anyone who uses AT buses or trains.
Ready to get started? Head to Set up your tools to register your API key and install Gemini CLI.