New buses confirmed for SC as patronage slows

Brand new buses featuring USB charging ports are coming to Timaru.

Ritchies Transport Holdings is replacing two of its older metro buses with new buses featuring USB charging ports for passengers..

South Canterbury area manager David Gale said he was excited about the new buses, which feature some of the latest technology.

‘‘People are going to love it. It’s all a part of keeping it clean and green, that’s what excites me.’’

The buses also featured new Euro 5 engines and tracking technology.

‘‘The Euro 5 engines were up to international regulation to help us reduce emissions from road transport. Both Ritchies and Environment Canterbury (ECan) are committed to that.’’

The engines were tested and regulated in Europe, he said.

The ‘‘ERoad’’ tracking technology allowed Ritchies to measure driver behaviour and fuel success. so vehicles were driven efficiently.

The buses have 38 seats, three more than existing metro buses in its fleet, and are approximately the same size in width and length, he said.

Each bus is worth about $400,000 each: ’’That highlights the commitment and investment Ritchies has towards the Timaru community.’’

It had a replacement programme which kept its buses upto-date to meet the standards and requirements of ECan.

ECan southern public transport officer Tony Henderson said the USB ports reflected people’s changing habits.

‘‘If you sit on a bus, you’ll notice that a lot of people are on mobile devices. By providing USB ports, it means our customers can charge their phones, tablets or smart devices if they need to.’’

ECan reported an 8 per cent drop in Timaru bus patronage between January and May when compared to the same period last year.

The new buses would assist Ritchies and ECan’s goal of increasing patronage, Henderson said.

Services will be reviewed next year.