MyWay users rise as ECan works to secure future funding
Monday, 1 May 2023
Future funding for Timaru's on-demand public transport system may not be secure, but the demand for the service continues to grow according to Environment Canterbury figures.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has committed to fund 51% of the scheme through to 2024, and part of that by stumping up $1.35m in Environment Canterbury’s draft 2023-2024 annual plan.
The remainder of the funding comes from a targeted urban Timaru and Washdyke area rate which will pull in $1.53m plus predicted fare revenue of $247,000.
ECan said the proposed targeted rates for transport in urban Timaru included more than MyWay with school bus services, Total Mobility services and supporting services (customer service, computer systems, strategy and planning, marketing, and contract management etc) part of the package.
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”We’re in the process of securing funding beyond this point and will keep the community informed of the outcome,” ECan spokesperson Thomas McNaughton said.
Waka Kotahi’s contribution to the service for 2020-2023 was $3.3m, and would reach $4.7m if the draft plan figures were adopted.
Popularity-wise, the service continued to set usage records, especially since Timaru’s Link service was parked.
“Since February 2023, there has been an average of 3.7% increase in requests week-on-week for MyWay,” McNaughton said.
“This increase in patronage coincides with the end of the Link service and launch of a new parklet on Stafford St for MyWay vehicles.
“We believe the parklet has boosted visibility of MyWay and more people are trying the service.”
Waka Kotahi said, with the parklet was unveiled in March, that it would be trialled for four months to gather feedback from users, residents and businesses to decide on a permanent location.
“This new parklet will be a convenient and safe space to hop on and off Timaru’s on-demand transport service, providing better connections for the community into the heart of the city,” Waka Kotahi manager urban mobility Kathryn King said.
McNaughton said passenger numbers for the first three months of 2023 were 43,446 with March 29, 2023, the busiest day on record for the service with 826 rides.
“MyWay received an average of 4385 requests a week during this period, compared to 3473 per week for the same quarter in 2022.”
McNaughton said passenger trips have increased by 24% since the service began in 2020 with the 400,000 passenger milestone now passed. In 2020, there were 78,951 passengers carried which increased to 136,217 in 2021 and 157,467 in 2022. If the carriage for the first quarter of 2023 continued, passenger numbers could top 170,000.
“Of the 34 regular weekdays since the Link removal, the MyWay service has completed over 600 rides on 29 days,” McNaughton said.
“For comparison, in 2022 there were only eight days where the service completed more than 600 rides.
“We're pleased with the community support MyWay has received since its launch in 2020. Growing patronage has shown its success, and we continue to work closely with customers to help them use the service.”