(File)Patronage of Timaru's trial of on-demand public transport has surpassed the services it replaces by nearly 40 per cent since the beginning of June. The Timaru Link and scheduled school service continue to operate as normal, while on-demand transport has replaced the Grantlea, Watlington and Gleniti services. ECan said with wide acceptance among the community that Timaru's public transport usage was in decline, they had embarked on a research project with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Timaru District Council to find a sustainable solution. "The reality was that things needed to change, because ratepayers and taxpayers cannot keep subsidising a public transport system that is poorly utilised,” Scott added. ECan says, if the trial is successful, the NZTA is interested in the potential to replicate the on-demand model for public transport in many other small to medium towns and cities around New Zealand.

Source: Stuff June 21, 2020 02:03 UTC