Mayor drives bus switch
’On-demand’ trial seen as public transport booster
HOBART residents could soon have a new way of getting around the city if Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds gets her wish.
Ms Reynolds has raised the possibility of on-demand bus services being rolled out in parts of the city, filling gaps between fixed route Metro services and those offered by taxis and rideshare companies.
“They’ve got on-demand services in the Northern Beaches of Sydney and Newcastle and the eastern suburbs of Sydney – in these kinds of places where it’s not as helpful to provide a traditional bus service but there are these private providers who are filling this niche (with a) more flexible service,” she said.
“And I think it’s certainly worth us having discussions with some of these providers and seeing whether Hobart would be of interest to them as a place to set up some pilots.”
Ms Reynolds said the council could partner with a private provider – such as Bridj, which operates in NSW – to run a trial service, or it could fund a service itself.
According to 2016 Census data, Greater Hobart has the lowest percentage of journey to work trips by public transport of all capital cities at just 5.5 per cent.
“Public transport is so essential for the efficient operation and the liveability of Hobart that we have to explore a whole range of other options,” Ms Reynolds said.
The Lord Mayor will move a motion at a meeting of the Hobart City Council’s City Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, requesting that chief executive Kelly Grigsby “engage in discussions with stakeholders … to explore interest in working with the (council) to provide a free city bus service, a free bus fare zone and/or new on-demand bus services of benefit for … residents”.
It comes after the Greater Hobart Strategic Partnership – which consists of the Hobart, Glenorchy, Clarence, and Kingborough councils – used its 2022-23 state budget submission to call for a 30 per cent reduction in bus fares in the Greater Hobart area, free travel for seniors during the nonpeak period (9am-3pm), and the establishment of a fare-free zone. Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the state government was “embarking on the most progressive agenda for public transport improvement in decades”.
“It is a decision for the state government, not the Lord Mayor of Hobart, on how the state allocates the $100m in annual fare subsidies so that we can ensure affordable fares and suitable services right around the state, beyond just the capital city, with all of the different public transport providers,” he said.