In a first for New Zealand, Ritchies Transport and the Canterbury Regional Council are introducing six very small buses (VSBs) designed specifically for local community transport services.
The fully small electric buses will be used for Timaru’s successful on-demand service, MyWay by Metro. They’ll provide cleaner transport, better accessibility, greater flexibility, quieter streets and less congestion.
“These new vehicles are all about flexibility and are a better fit for Timaru,” said Ritchies Commercial Director Amish Vallabh.
“They can be configured to meet the immediate needs of the passengers being carried. Whether it is peak-hour commuters, daytime shoppers, tourists or passengers using wheelchairs, these little buses are flexible, quiet and just the right size for the road and traffic conditions throughout the day.”
Benefits for passengers
Fully air-conditioned for passenger comfort, the vehicles have extra-wide side doors to allow easy access for passengers, strollers and wheelchairs. When these spaces are not needed, fold-down seats can be used during busier times of the day. Each VSB can carry 13 seated passengers and up to 13 standing.
Better for traffic flow
The vehicles are manufactured by China Rail, which has already delivered hundreds of zero-emission buses for Ritchies in other parts of the country.
“China Rail’s commitment to zero emissions aligns with our own,” said Peter Algie, Ritchies National Assets and Decarbonisation Manager. “They are able to produce vehicles of almost any size, and their Very Small Bus concept has been very well received.”
“The small buses can carry more people without holding up traffic, especially on smaller urban corridors, and are designed to help relieve congestion.”
The batteries powering the vehicles are designed to travel at least 300 km on a single charge and can be almost fully recycled at the end of their working life. “Electric vehicle battery technology has come a long way. We can now recover almost 99 per cent of the lithium for use in new batteries.”
Welcomed service upgrade
In its media release on the zero-emission fleet Canterbury Regional Council Public Transport General Manager Stewart Gibbon said it’s exciting to have the new electric vehicles joining the MyWay network.
“Our MyWay partner, Ritchies Transport, has extensive experience operating zero-emission fleets and has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our on-demand service.”
“We already have four EV minivans and one VSB on the road. The remaining VSBs will be gradually rolled out as they are made ready for the MyWay network. “
“Having these ten new electric vehicles further reduces our carbon emissions and brings us another step closer to a fully electric public transport network across all of Canterbury.”
About MyWay by Metro:
The on-demand service concept was trialled by Environment Canterbury and Ritchies over several years, achieving Timaru’s highest level of public transport patronage in almost a quarter of a century.
Marking the launch of the new VSB fleet (l-r): Alister McDermott (Ritchies Regional Maintenance Manager) Nick Ward (Elected Regional Councillor), David Horne (Ritchies Timaru Operations Manager), Stewart Gibbon (Environment Canterbury General Manager of Public Transport) Robert McCoid (Ritchies Central South Area Manager), Cesar Costa (Ritchies Director of Operations South Island)
Visit the MyWay by Metro website. Metro Timaru website.
