The numbers are in and they're impressive.

The town has announced Cochrane On-Line Local Transit (COLT) accommodated 169 riders in its first day of operation, Oct. 7.  In total, 80 trips were made with 49 per cent of them being shared rides. The average ride time was 22 minutes, including wait time.

To say he's pleased is an understatement, says Mayor Jeff Genung.

"The overwhelming support that people have shown to me on social media, in emails, and during the rides has been gratifying, and then there's ridership," says Genung. "The number of trips has proven the fact that this is something the community has been hungry for."

Time will tell whether or not residents are simply curious about the new service or if usage will continue to climb.

All eyes were on Cochrane with the launch of the first fully on-demand transit system in Canada. Municipal officials, in particular, have been showing a keen interest.

"Victoria, Beaumont, a lot of the smaller communities our size and below that are looking to provide a transit system. They've been in the same boat as we are, not wanting to pay millions of dollars in operating subsidy to provide a service. Hopefully, it's the solution that takes away some of the sting of the finances while providing an innovative solution to allow people to move about."

Until the end of 2019, it's free to ride a COLT. The buses run Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no service on Sundays.

Bookings are made through the free app download Ride COLT. You can also book online at ridecolt.ca.