Ride-sharing public transport proposal put forward
Monday, 4 June 2018
Timaru's bus services could be set to take a leaf out of the Uber playbook.
The proposal is one of many suggested as a way to improve the falling passenger numbers on the town's public passenger transport service.
Environment Canterbury senior manager public transport Stewart Gibbon said recent surveys supported the view that the current bus service does not meet the changing needs of the Timaru community.
'The survey responses showed us the diversity of what Timaru residents want from a public transport service,' he said.
'With the exception of school services, big buses on fixed routes are not meeting the evolving needs and expectations of the Timaru community.'
Patronage on the Timaru bus service has dropped from 220,000 passenger trips to just over 180,000 passenger trips per year over the last 10 years.
In 2014, ECan overhauled the bus routes, which included introducing the circular Timaru Link service.
South Canterbury-based ECan councillor Peter Scott said there was a chance to become a more demand-responsive service, similar in principle to that of ride-sharing service Uber, where people could ask for the bus to pick them up from a specific destination, rather than relying on waiting at bus stops.
'We're looking for an IT system that would run a more interactive public transport system,' he said.
'I'm not 100 per cent sure what it's going to look like until we get some expressions of interest.'
Scott said it was not certain whether this proposed new service would complement or replace part of the current bus service.
'We want to make sure that we have a fit for purpose public transport system in Timaru. At times, the Timaru service works well, but then at other times you get complaints about empty buses simply driving through Timaru,' he said.
Scott said there were issues with Timaru's ageing population, in particular those with mobility problems. A pick-up type service might help alleviate some of those problems.
It is proposed that the service would enable passengers to book a bus ride using a mobile app. If it is implemented, it could be one of one of the first systems of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, Scott said.
'I'm quite excited about the potential of this proposal. This is not a last throw of the dice, this is a chance to make our public transport more user-friendly in Timaru. If it works out okay, we could see it being used in Christchurch,' Scott said.
Gibbon said the earliest timeframe for the trial change of service would be later this year or early next year.
'Once we see the ideas put forward by potential providers we will be able to determine the next steps,' he said.
Timaru District Mayor Damon Odey said he had had brief talks with ECan about the proposal.
'It sounds pretty cool to me. This proposal could become something quite leading edge,' he said.
Odey said he was looking forward to hearing more about the proposals.
'There's a whole lot of stuff to get through, but I'm pleased ECan is willing to try new things.'