MyWay by Metro

With falling public transport user numbers in Timaru, Environment Canterbury (the regional council) decided to trial New Zealand’s first on-demand service. We successfully tendered for the project by first reframing the challenges and how we would approach solving them.

These included:

• People’s basic lack of understanding what on-demand transport or ride sharing is
• Privacy and safety
• Technology and payment method barriers
• Shifting attitudes towards public transport
• Correcting preconceptions

That’s why we created a brand and core message of “make it happen your way” to show how MyWay can be a viable and even enjoyable choice for people’s everyday lives. To ensure it shows real Timaruvians using the service, we did a day’s filming and photography.

This is New Zealand’s first on-demand public transport service and could be the blueprint for other small cities across the country. We were pleased to take Environment Canterbury on this journey to creating a successful brand for a successful service. And the news so far is good - a 40% increase in patronage compared to the old bus system at the same period last year and overwhelmingly positive feedback from the public.