December 16, 2022, Lambton Shores – Huron Shores Area Transit (HSAT) recently had both buses vehicle-wrapped with custom graphics using a selection of marketing campaign photographs and messages to raise the local public transit service’s profile with passengers and non-passengers alike.
The two buses operate seven days per week, 362 days per year (no service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or Good Friday), providing four bus routes to residents of Lambton Shores, Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, South Huron, Bluewater and North Middlesex. Travelling 360,000 km annually offers many opportunities for buses wrapped in custom vehicle graphics to be seen on the road during a transit day. According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, “one vehicle wrap can generate between 30,000 – 70,000 impressions daily, and vehicle advertising boosts name recognition 15 times greater than any other form of advertising.”
“Although Huron Shores Area Transit was launched on December 14, 2020, there are still residents who don’t know we have a public transit service,” says Transit Coordinator Susan Mills. “The pandemic shutdowns and stay-at-home orders negatively affected our ability to build on launch momentum in 2021. These two colourful and well-designed vehicle-wrapped buses will get noticed, drawing people’s attention and encouraging them to check out our service.”
This year has been HSAT’s first full uninterrupted year of operations, and residents are beginning to respond. Ridership is up 460% compared to 2021. The goal is to double ridership in 2023 to 16,000 passenger trips, and Mills is confident the presence of the two eye-popping vehicle-wrapped buses travelling through 21 communities in our region and servicing 50 stops will be a factor in getting those results.
Visit www.huronshoresareatransit.ca for information about routes, schedules, fares, Smart Cards, and more. Or to speak with a live operator about times and schedules, 9 am to 5 pm daily, call 1-888-465-0783.
