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Commuters from Mahurangi will be able to hop onto a scooter to get them to and from their bus from next week onwards.
The Mahu City Express, which provides the only direct transport link between the Mahurangi region and the Auckland CBD, is introducing e-scooters to fill the ‘first and last mile’ gap.
Passengers will be able to book scooters with their bus ride, store and charge them on the bus, and ride them at both ends of the journey.
Mahu Express founder Julian Ostling says many passengers have to switch to other modes of transport when they reach the CBD. This includes connecting buses, walking, biking, scooters or other modes of transport.
“So, we know there is an existing demand for this enhancement. Ultimately, we are looking to remove any barriers to adoption, encouraging commuters to leave the car at home, and we’re confident that this will make the service more appealing to many,” Ostling says.
Ostling says passengers are also welcome to bring their own bikes.
“People who currently use their cars to drive to our service can replace that car journey with a zero-emissions scooter journey, and not have to find all day parking, freeing up that space for other members of the community,” Ostling says.
“We expect the success of the pilot will be repeated on all our future commuter coach services and we hope it will also trigger similar schemes elsewhere.”
The initiative is being made with support from the Waka Kotahi Innovation Fund – Hoe ki angitū.
Mahu Express was the first in New Zealand to launch fully electric e-coaches in 2021. Ostling says just one conventional coach can remove up to 85% of commuting emissions from the equivalent 40 cars, while a zero-emissions e-coach removes 100%.
