Uber-style `on demand’ buses help Macquarie Park workers
BUS travel has been given an Uber-style makeover. But is it any good? We put it to the test.
Northern District Times
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BUS travel has been given an Uber-style makeover.
The State Government recently started trialling “on demand” bus services in selected parts of the state.
Similar to Uber and private minibuses, the new services let you arrange to be picked up at your door and delivered to your destination (to see our review - scroll down).
There are two services operating across the northern district.
The first, Keoride, helps people within a 7.5km radius of Macquarie Park travel to and from the employment centre.
People can call to book a trip or use the Keoride app.
The app is similar to the Uber one, and users can see the minibus approaching on a map.
Bus company Keolis Downer, which has its headquarters at North Ryde, is providing the service on behalf of the government.
It says it has made 200 trips in the first two weeks.
The service is aimed at encouraging the many workers who drive to and from Macquarie Park to try public transport.
The other, smaller-scale service targets people in Carlingford, Epping and North Rocks.
Called Our Bus, people can book a ride from their door to the Carlingford and Epping interchanges, the M2 Oakes Rd bus station and back.
Like Keoride, people can call or use an app to book trips.
ComfortDelGro and Cabcharge (CDC) run this service.
As both services target workers, they only run during weekday peak periods.
Buses may pick up or drop off more than one set of passengers during a trip, so travel may not always be direct.
But the price — a little more than public transport fares — could prove popular with many.
Customers in most cases pay with a credit card. The Opal card is not used.
We go for a ride
THE time is 8am and I’m expecting my first ”on demand” bus to arrive any moment.
I’ve booked a ride from Meadowbank to Macquarie University station to see whether this new form of bus travel shows much promise.
I open the app on my phone to see where the bus is at the moment. It’s at Eastwood. It’s going to be a little while yet.
At 8.20am, the minibus arrives. It is a little late, but the operators are fair. Without me asking, they send me a text message to say my ride will be free.
It would have cost $4.30.
The driver, Gary from North Ryde, tells me he has just come from delivering other workers to Macquarie Park.
A pair needed to go to the station for a train to the city, while an Optus worker saved himself the cost of parking for a day.
My trip goes smoothly. It’s nice to be assured of a seat on a bus, which this service will always provide.
We don’t need to pick up anyone, so I arrive at the station at 8.58am.
Unlike regular buses and trains, the on-demand service doesn’t say what time you will arrive at your destination.
Yet the convenience to arrange your departure time and locations for a low fare could prove popular with many.
It could also save motorists parking fees at Macquarie Park, and the service will no doubt improve as the trial continues.