Free bus rides to mark new transport strategy

Tuesday, 18 September 2018

Fixed routes for Timaru buses could become a thing of the past if a proposed trial is successful. (file photo)

People will ride free on Timaru buses for a day as a long-awaited transport plan finally goes out to the public.

A new 'demand based' service, similar to Uber, will also be trialled next year, as a way of grappling with the town's low public passenger transport numbers, which have dropped from 220,000 passenger trips to just over 180,000 a year over the past 10 years.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) is offering free bus rides across the network on Saturday to celebrate the beginning of public consultation on the Regional Public Transport Plan, which proposes sweeping changes to Timaru's bus services.

The free service comes after a new demand-based approach to bus services in Timaru is up for public discussion, several months after the idea was first floated.

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ECan chairman Steve Lowndes said Saturday is also World Car-Free Day and gives people an opportunity for people to try the service, leave the car at home for the day, and to think about the sort of public transport system needed across Timaru.

ECan senior public transport manager Stewart Gibbon said at its peak, in 2001, more than 263,000 trips were made on the Timaru network. By 2017, this had declined to 184,000 trips a year.

'Because of this, the cost to the ratepayer to cover the services is becoming unsustainable,' Gibbon said

'ECan doesn't believe that simply reducing the service or increasing rates contributions is the way to resolve this. We don't have a specific target for passenger numbers, but we know the current system simply isn't reaching people.'

'When you look at the community of Timaru, it is relatively easy to get around and we need to provide a service that benefits the most people. The fixed routes don't necessarily provide that.'

Gibbon said ECan had approached several national and international companies to develop the proposed Uber-like service. He expected deals to be finalised by October, so the trial of the new service could begin in February or March next year.

It is proposed that the demand-based service trial would complement, rather than replace, the fixed routes. However, the plan was to 'progressively' roll it out after the initial trial, Gibbon said.

'We understand that change can be scary for some, but if we don't try something different then the service will lose its relevance,' he said.

ECan was also seeking feedback about the speed to which it should transition to zero-emission vehicles, and move towards a 'cashless' method of payment.

Funding from the National Land Transport Fund is guided by policy that currently requires public transport services to achieve a 50 per cent fare box recovery. This means that half the cost of providing the services is covered by fares (i.e. fares and SuperGold grants).

It is estimated that ECan's fare recovery ratio is only about 40 per cent across the region, while in Timaru, the recovery rate is about 21 per cent.

'The national policy is supposed to even out across the country, so while it's probably unrealistic for Timaru meet that farebox recovery, in Wellington and Auckland it's very feasible,' Gibbon said.

'However, we would like to see Timaru's farebox recovery to be higher, so there is less pressure on the rates.'

Consultation on the draft plan is open until October 14.