On-demand public transport
Client
NZ Transport Agency/Environment Canterbury
Key skills
Qualitative Research
Journey Mapping
Personas
Service Safari
Storyboards
Prototyping
Service Blueprinting
Stakeholder engagement
The challenge
Declining patronage has meant the Timaru bus service has become unsustainable. Our role was to support the ECan led project team in preparing to pilot a new On-demand public transport system.
The approach
Firstly we got a good grasp of the current state through existing data. We then completed a ‘Service Safari’ by riding all the bus routes and documenting our experience. We also engaged with key stakeholders and carried out qualitative research with the customer groups we identified. This allowed us to map the current state customer experience and develop validated personas.
We started the next phase by developing a Service Blueprint with the project team. We used this to identity key areas of the service to prototype using storyboards, a mock-call centre, a prototype mobile app and in-vehicle testing with ‘passengers’.
The outcome
Our research has provided the project team with a more detailed understanding of the current and potential customer base for the proposed On-demand service. The prototyping and testing provided an effective and relatively inexpensive way to gain insight into how customers might engage with this new mechanism for public transport.
Highlights
Engaging with community stakeholders to access a wide range of customers including people with disabilities, recent migrants and the elderly
Developing and testing a range of prototypes for the proposed service
Key collaborators
Chris Hughes, Prototype development/Information Design
Alana McCrossin, Graphic Design
Jeremy Dickson, Manager Public Transport Business Services
Nicholas Hill, Project Manager
Judith Earl-Goulet, Manager Zone Delivery
Isabelle Bromham, Transport Community Engagement Advisor
