Shared mobility solutions provider Liftango, which announced the launch of the NSW government's first of its kind Sports Hopper trial in Sutherland Shire, in partnership with Transdev and Transport for NSW, has launched its first weekend run this month.
The idea is to take the stress out of the frantic sports run on Saturdays.
Minibuses transport players and their families to and from the Gymea area to the Bellingara Road netball complex, via on-demand mini-buses.
The trial is a part of the NSW government's On Demand Transport Pilot Program and was designed to eliminate parking pain for parents, especially those who have to balance responsibilities with driving their kids to several sporting grounds.
It launched on July 20, and will run for six Saturdays.
"For parents, the sports run can eat away at their whole weekend," Liftango chief executive, Kevin Orr, said.
"Not only do they have to deal with peak weekend congestion but they also struggle to find a park at congested sports fields. Sports Hopper aims to take away this stress and offers a sustainable and convenient solution to the weekend sports run.
"On-demand buses offer a convenience not found in fixed public transport, and offers families the flexibility to take their kids to their games as well as have extra time in the day for themselves."
In an area with high car usage, Sports Hopper will work to reduce parking pain for parents by giving them a convenient solution to encourage leaving the car behind.
"We all know parents juggle multiple responsibilities on the weekend and sometimes need to drive kids to two or three different sporting grounds," Transdev Australasia's head of new mobility, David Le Breton, said.
"This trial will free up their time and hope to encourage our younger generation to gain confidence in using public transport.
"It's easy to catch. People can book and pay online or via an app and then hop on the minibus close to home and hop off at the netball complex. It also has real-time tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive."
Trips can be booked through the Sports Hopper app, or online here, and a shuttle bus will pick kids up close to their house and drop them off at the netball court.
Real-time tracking is available to keep people updated on when the bus arrives. Bookings can be made anywhere from seven days in advance to 30 minutes before travel.
The bus operates all day on Saturday from 6:30am to 5:30pm. Sports Hopper can be booked for families, or children over 10 years old can travel by themselves. Booster seats are also available for children under 4.
The cost of a one-way fare is $5, or $2.50 concession.