Ritchies Transport and GIRO are partnering to implement GIRO’s HASTUS solution. With a phased rollout due to start in early 2024, HASTUS will drive efficiencies in bus scheduling and operations for Ritchies, initially across their urban services throughout New Zealand.

To tackle the challenges of future growth and enhance service delivery and efficiency, Ritchies sought an effective, flexible system for scheduling and operations. Through their procurement process, Ritchies evaluated competing systems and singled out HASTUS for its demonstrated advanced optimization capabilities and its field-proven day-of-operations functionalities.

“The forward-looking solutions delivered by HASTUS clearly were the best option to meet the evolving needs of our public transport authority partners and the communities we operate in,” said Sean Hayes, Ritchies’ Director of Operations. “We’re excited about the advancements that HASTUS will provide for rostering our teams, scheduling services, and ensuring peak operational performance, with all the benefits that will bring for passengers. This investment will also give us high-performance tools for electric-bus scheduling, which will support planning and executing our transition to a zero-emission fleet.”

The flexibility of the HASTUS modules will empower Ritchies’ teams to better manage disruptions of the kind the New Zealand passenger-transport sector saw earlier this year with extensive flooding in Auckland and cyclone impacts across the top of the North Island.

“We’re looking forward to partnering with Ritchies as they continue to enhance the customer experience with reliable, effective mobility services in more than fifteen urban centres from Northland to Otago,” said Francis Demers, GIRO's Senior Director, HASTUS – Canada, Australia and New Zealand. “Choosing the right technology tools has been critical for Ritchies, given their scale and the diverse nature of their services. We’re excited to share the expertise that we’ve gained empowering major bus networks to meet their challenges in the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia.”

As one of New Zealand’s largest operators in the public passenger-transport sector, Ritchies’ operational teams deal every day with a challenging schedule for urban and school transport services nationally, as well as charters, tours, assisted transport, inter-city coaches and SkyDrive airport shuttles in Auckland and Queenstown.

GIRO partners with major public transport operators from Los Angeles to London and Singapore to Sydney, who rely on GIRO’s software and expertise to plan, schedule and operate world-class bus, tram, metro and rail services.

About Ritchies Transport

Ritchies is New Zealand’s leading transportation company, offering bus and coach hire services to schools, businesses and the general public. For over 80 years we have focused on providing the best bus charter and hire services allowing people to explore all areas of the country in comfort and safety. With teams and depots from Kaitaia in the north, to Gore in the deep heartland of the south, Ritchies has built up a diverse fleet of over 1,600 vehicles and around 2,000 dedicated employees.