The local community has embraced the new On-Demand bus services in Mount Barker and the Barossa with massive demand for the better, more convenient service in the first month of the trial.
In Mount Barker over there are now over 1,000 trips per week, which is four times more than the initial target, with passengers rating the service 4.8 out of 5.
The data also shows that there is an average wait time of only 10.1 minutes with passengers only having to walk an average of 101 metres to catch the On-Demand bus service.
In the Barossa there continues to be steady growth week on week with 165 trips in the last week, double the average for the existing Dial a Ride service, with passengers rating the service 4.92 out of 5.
"The Marshall Government went to the election with a commitment to deliver better services and this On-Demand bus service is delivering just that," said Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Stephan Knoll.
"It's clear the people are voting with their feet and are absolutely embracing these On-Demand bus services
"Both local communities have given the On-Demand bus service almost a perfect score out of five when they've rated their experience.
"We said this On-Demand bus would provide better and more convenient services and that's definitely the feedback from the first month of the trial.
"So far we've seen demand grow week on week in both trial areas which is a clear sign these On Demand buses are providing a better service for passengers.
"In Mount Barker passengers are only walking around 100 metres to catch the bus which is a lot less to walk to the nearest fixed bus stop for the vast majority of the population.
"The fact people can track the bus on their phone means they don't have to wait in the heat or rain and can time their arrival at the pickup location as the bus arrives.
"It's these kinds of innovations to our public transport network that we will continue to explore so we can provide better services that will encourage more people to catch public transport.
"The fact people can pay via the app is also being embraced and we've seen a relatively even distribution of passengers paying with their Metrocard and credit card which is linked to the app.
"There's obviously some time left to run on this trial, but the numbers are still trending up and we expect that to continue as more and more people become aware of the service and incorporate it into their daily routine."
Mount Barker On-Demand service fast facts;
- Over 3,000 rides within the first four weeks of the trial;
- Now over 1000 trips in Mount Barker per week;
- 445 active riders;
- Average pick up time of 10.1 minutes;
- Average ride rating of 4.8 (out of 5); and,
- Average pick up walk distance of 101 metres.
Barossa On-Demand service fast facts;
- Over 500 rides within the first four weeks of the trial;
- Now 165 trips in Barossa per week;
- 112 active riders;
- Average pick up time of 10.2 minutes;
- Average ride rating of 4.92 (out of 5); and,
- Average pick up walk distance of 88 metres.
