Ride sharing champion Uber has muscled its way into a market long held by taxis; now a new concept in public transport is winning converts in San Francisco and the world is taking notice.
It's the kind of innovation that could work its way to Perth as mini CBD hubs establish themselves over the coming decades. And, it could well provide a welcome addition in helping solve Perth's traffic congestion blues.
Transport entrant Leap has introduced a luxury bus ride service that combines a coffee shop with a work space and a lounge room.
No need to wait until the end of journey for your morning coffee and muffin – it's all on board. Riders also get wi-fi and USB outlets. Everything is paid for via an app.
And the new option is helping provide a totally different mode of travel that's converting drivers into riders.
San Francisco's tech-savvy commuters are lapping up their latte a go-go and giving it the thumbs up.
Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said that anything that encouraged more use of public transport should be encouraged.
"In regard to it happening in Australia, I would love to see anything like this trialled," she said.
Leap co-founder and CEO Kyle Kirchoff said that Leap had completely redesigned the daily commute.
"Think of it like a lounge on wheels. We aim to take all the hassle out of getting to work," he told the US ABC7 news.
Single rides are $6, but it can drop to less than $4 on a multi-ride basis.
Leap also claims it eliminates wasted time waiting at bus stops.
"Users can see where the next bus is on their app and if a seat is available," Mr Kirchoff said.
A Curtin University marketing lecturer said Leap was an interesting idea and joined other entrants like Uber in shaking up traditional industries.
"But does it really offer an option beyond what's already out there?" Luke Butcher of the School of Marketing said.
He believed that Leap would face challenges in changing established patterns of behaviour in commuters or drivers.
"It's bound to get plenty of early adopters but whether that translates into loyal users that convert it into a sustainable business is another question," Mr Butcher said.
He said Leap was another option to go into the debate on ride sharing, light rail, traffic congestion and satellite hubs.
A spokeswoman for the WA Department of Transport said it encouraged innovation in transport services.
"The vehicle must meet all the Australian vehicle safety standards and that responsibility sits within the Federal Government," she said. Any vehicle and driver carrying passengers had to be properly licensed.
Meanwhile, Leap announced a temporary halt to its services on Tuesday. The company said it had been ironing out red tape with the state (California) and that the short-term shutdown was the result of "clerical issues".
