State Government on the hunt for Uber-style on-demand bus operators

Adelaide passengers could soon be using an Uber-style app to summon a bus.

• E-scooters are changing commuter culture across Adelaide
• Get on board with electric, driverless cars or fall behind
• Passengers would transfer between trains, trams and buses

Uber-style buses, that would link passengers in low patronage areas to public transport could soon be roaming Adelaide.

The State Government will on Wednesday release a tender asking for an operator to offer an on-demand bus service.

It is a further push to a public transport model that would encourage passengers to jump on and off multiple forms of public transport to get to their destination.

The government are also hopeful the on-demand service could also plugs gaps in the system where traditional buses, trains or trams are not practical for cross-city trips or other points of interest like shopping centres.

The system is based on a New South Wales trial being undertaken in 24 urban and regional locations, that allows passengers to book a vehicle for pick up from either home or a nearby location, and take them to a local transport hub or point of interest.

On Demand shuttle bus services are being trialled in NSW, and the SA Government is seeking an operator for a similar service here.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll told The Advertiser people are continually wanting greater flexibility and mobility to get them where they need to go.

“We’ve seen that through the emergence of ride sharing services and recently with the injection of electric scooters in our CBD,” Mr Knoll said.

“Demand responsive transport trials provide an opportunity to better integrate our different modes of public transport.

“Demand responsive services are more flexible and could pick up passengers from locations that may not be well serviced by the existing network – effectively like Uber for buses.”

The tender is a further step in the State Government’s overhaul of public transport in South Australia in a bid to address declining patronage across the state.

The State Government intends to overhaul public transport, cutting less frequented bus routes and introducing on demand services.

But it will also reignite concerns from the State Opposition.

Earlier this month Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas questioned whether the State Government’s strategy would work in Adelaide.

“Forcing bus passengers to transfer to another service will not reverse declining

patronage and get commuters to their destination faster,” he said,

“It will only make travel times longer and disproportionately affect people with a disability and elderly South Australians.”

In NSW the passengers using the trial can book through an app, online or by phone.

The State Government announced $46 million in cuts for the public transport system in last year’s State Budget.

About 1170 bus services are to be axed or shortened as part of the State Government’s bid to claw back about $46 million in efficiencies by 2022.

Reductions to bus routes are set to save the Budget $3.5 million, a fraction of the overall cuts.

Today’s tender follows the first of two tenders for operation of the metropolitan bus system released a few weeks ago.

A key part of the lucrative contracts – expected to cost taxpayers $1.5 billion over eight years – would be that operators work within a system whereby commuters could be forced to hop between buses, trains and trams to speed-up travel times.

At the time Mr Knoll said only “incremental” changes had been made to the public transport network over the past 20 years.

Mr Knoll said at around eight per cent, Adelaide has one of the lowest rates of public transport usage in the country and the highest percentage of people who choose to drive to work of any capital city.

“We also have the worst level of integration between the different modes of public transport,” he said.