Allow me to introduce you folks to our new travel community: TravelTalk NZ.

We hope to see you there!

Are Uber trying to get here? It would be bloody great!!

Used to be $35 to go from Johnsonville to Wellington airport. Now it costs the same in a taxi to go just from Ferguson street to the airport!!

The students up at the Massey halls would love it too.

chevrolux:

 

Are Uber trying to get here? It would be bloody great!!

 

Used to be $35 to go from Johnsonville to Wellington airport. Now it costs the same in a taxi to go just from Ferguson street to the airport!!

 

The students up at the Massey halls would love it too.

 

I hope so! No offical new yet. I often take a taxi to the airport when someone isn't dropping me off (also from Ferguson St.) and it usually costs $20-$27.

I'd also like it if a ride-sharing service set up here in PN - taxis to/from the airport to my place just off Featherston St are a decent amount over $20 - a distance of only 4.2 kms!

That said, I'd far prefer it to be an alternative to a company as dodgy as Uber, eg Zoomy.

jonathan18:

 

I'd also like it if a ride-sharing service set up here in PN - taxis to/from the airport to my place just off Featherston St are a decent amount over $20 - a distance of only 4.2 kms!

 

That said, I'd far prefer it to be an alternative to a company as dodgy as Uber, eg Zoomy.

 

What about a bike share service like CitiBike in New York? Palmerston North advertises itself as great biking city so why not that?

jonathan18:

 

I'd also like it if a ride-sharing service set up here in PN - taxis to/from the airport to my place just off Featherston St are a decent amount over $20 - a distance of only 4.2 kms!

 

That said, I'd far prefer it to be an alternative to a company as dodgy as Uber, eg Zoomy.

 

The bit that gets me is to go from the airport doors to the roundabout on airport drive, the taxi meter is already at $10!!

chevrolux:

 

jonathan18:

 

I'd also like it if a ride-sharing service set up here in PN - taxis to/from the airport to my place just off Featherston St are a decent amount over $20 - a distance of only 4.2 kms!

 

That said, I'd far prefer it to be an alternative to a company as dodgy as Uber, eg Zoomy.

 

 

The bit that gets me is to go from the airport doors to the roundabout on airport drive, the taxi meter is already at $10!!

 

They charge that "Airport pickup fee" don't they! The bus only costs $3 and you could take a taxi from the CBD.

Haha yes, but then I would need to get on a bus at the end of a long day... not happening haha!

I saw a decent number of people using Onzo bikes in central Wgtn this week - more so than I've seen in parts of Akld; PN could be a good place for them to expand to. But I liked the subscription model that CitiBike uses, which allows unlimited rides as long as the sub is active (and they offer annual subs) - I don't think Onzo does that, but they're also pretty cheap at $1 an hour (surely that's not a sustainable price?!).

It's also interesting that there's been no word (that I've heard anyway) of Lime setting up in PN - given its terrain and compactness, it's a great city for e-scooters. That said, I guess students have free buses, which would probably make e-scooters (or rental bikes) as a form of transport far less appealing!

jonathan18:

 

I saw a decent number of people using Onzo bikes in central Wgtn this week - more so than I've seen in parts of Akld; PN could be a good place for them to expand to. But I liked the subscription model that CitiBike uses, which allows unlimited rides as long as the sub is active (and they offer annual subs) - I don't think Onzo does that, but they're also pretty cheap at $1 an hour (surely that's not a sustainable price?!).

 

It's also interesting that there's been no word (that I've heard anyway) of Lime setting up in PN - given its terrain and compactness, it's a great city for e-scooters. That said, I guess students have free buses, which would probably make e-scooters (or rental bikes) as a form of transport far less appealing!

 

I have never heard of Onzo before but I am going to Wellington this weekend so maybe I will try them out? Due to Wellington's population size I think $1 could be a sustainable price. I also like CitiBike's subscription model, only $169USD for a year!

jonathan18:

 

I saw a decent number of people using Onzo bikes in central Wgtn this week - more so than I've seen in parts of Akld; PN could be a good place for them to expand to. But I liked the subscription model that CitiBike uses, which allows unlimited rides as long as the sub is active (and they offer annual subs) - I don't think Onzo does that, but they're also pretty cheap at $1 an hour (surely that's not a sustainable price?!).

 

It's also interesting that there's been no word (that I've heard anyway) of Lime setting up in PN - given its terrain and compactness, it's a great city for e-scooters. That said, I guess students have free buses, which would probably make e-scooters (or rental bikes) as a form of transport far less appealing!

 

Lime would have to lock their scooters from 5pm to 8am Thursday to Sunday. Could you imagine the mess left behind from drunk students trying to get back up to Massey on Limes hahahaha!

So it looks like we now have an alternative to both taxis and Uber in lil' ol' Palmerston North - Ola launched in Palmy (and a few other places) on Tuesday.

How does Ola stack up in a Uber vs Ola battle? One thing I found in a quick search is that it seems they take a lower cut - 18% vs 25%/28% (depending on if GST registered). How have users of Ola in NZ found it vs the competition?

Having finished Super Pumped, the ever-interesting but disturbing book on Uber, a few weeks ago (off the back of this review) I'm keener than ever to avoid using them so will certainly look to try out Ola next time I need a ride.

Edit: having downloaded the app, it's reporting the cost to the airport from my house would be $12-13; given I have normally paid $22-25 for the same trip with a taxi it's certainly a lot cheaper (though I assume rates may depend on time of day, demand etc...). I've never used Uber before (noting my comments in the para above), so it's all new to me!

Neat, eager to hear people's feedback on the service. I have never used a ride-share service before though!

I had also heard around work that Blip were moving on in, but that was supposed to happen December, so who knows whether it made it through the quagmire of bureaucratic red-tape?