The official fare schedule is yet to be confirmed.
Regional Transport Committee chairman Martin Williams encouraged the public to share their thoughts on a proposed trial in Hastings.
"This project will not only have real benefits for reduced carbon emissions across the region, but has the potential to make public transport more useful and accessible for everyone, at the click of a button or more precisely – 'the tap of an app'.
"Better still, it will benefit those people in our communities who most struggle to afford a car or petrol, or find it difficult to walk to the nearest bus stop."
Waiting times for any trip should be no more than about 15 minutes, but trips can be booked well in advance.
If successful, on-demand transport would also be trialled in Napier in 2023.
HBRC general manager policy and regulation Katrina Brunton said the proposed trial will replace three bus routes within Hastings.
She said the 16A, 16B and 17 routes have a combined total average number of passengers of 110, meaning some buses are "near empty".
Buses on other routes within the network, and between Napier and Hastings, would continue their normal services.
Brunton said the on-demand system has been successfully rolled out in other cities, including in Timaru last year, with great feedback.
"We've modelled passenger rates with the new system, and we're expecting passenger rates to nearly double with waiting times slashed by 400 per cent."
To have your say on the proposal, head to the HBRC website.
