27 Jun 2017

A new Smart Travel website and app will allow Christchurch commuters to find transport solutions from carpooling to bus routes at the click of a button.

Smart Travel Canterbury was launched recently as part of a nationwide push to connect commuters wanting to carpool, and help people explore their travel choices.

Christchurch City Council Transport Operations Manager Aaron Haymes said Smart Travel made it easier than ever for people to connect with other commuters.

Traffic flowing north out of Christchurch

Traffic travelling from the north into Christchurch.

“This is a national website and app, set up by local authorities across New Zealand who are wanting to assist workplaces and communities with their travel choices. Our regional section of the website, Smart Travel Canterbury, has a range of new features that Council can now use to encourage better travel choices,'' Mr Haymes said.

"For the first time we can offer incentives and rewards for commuters who choose to carpool or use the site. We can use the site to record what routes are proving popular with carpoolers and really dig down into how we can help people save time, money and reduce congestion through their travel choices.”

Mr Haymes said the growth of the central city had created a greater demand for parking and further congestion issues in the city were likely if travel behaviour didn’t change.

One route Council would be looking at was the commute from those living north of the city, as more 10,000 Waimakariri residents travel to work in Christchurch each day.

“We are encouraging people to re-consider their way of travelling using Smart Travel. This platform has taken over from the previous Let’s Carpool and goes so much further than offering just a carpool connection. When you type in your desired route and destination, the app uses Google maps to come up with every available transport option and its travel time . It also includes distance, emissions information and calories used if cycling or walking. It will tell you when the next bus is leaving, or if you choose to bike it can match you to a cycle partner. For carpoolers, it will work out fuel used and fuel saved.”

The app is available to download at the Apple store or on Google Play.

To encourage people to check out Smart Travel Canterbury, all new registrations on the site during June and July go into a draw to win a $150 pressie card for each of the two months.

Join Smart Travel.