Bus changes aim to fix overcrowding on Waikato school-run services

Long waits for children and disabled passengers sparked a new timetable trial . Photo / Thinkstock

An additional bus service between Whatawhata and Hamilton and the scrapping of Sunday and public holiday bus runs to Raglan are being introduced as a temporary fix for overcrowding problems.

The Waikato Regional Council said yesterday that the new bus service would be trialled until the end of the school year to provide more seats for commuters and students.

The council has been wrestling with overcrowding on the school run service between Raglan and Hamilton which has seen children and disabled passengers left waiting for up to two hours before there is room for them to ride.

The new service begins on Monday with a 20-seater bus departing Glentui Lane at Whatawhata at 7.15am to the Hamilton transport centre, with a return trip at 4pm.

It is expected to cost at least $51,000 and will be part-funded by the Waikato District Council.

The remaining cost will be covered by savings made with the cutting of Sunday and public holiday services between Raglan and Hamilton.

Other changes will see the last Sunday/public holiday services to Raglan running over the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend.

The 8.30am service from Hamilton will move to a new departure time of 10.15am from Monday, June 11, to allow tourists and day-trippers getting off 10am coaches an earlier choice of bus, while the 10am departure from Raglan to Hamilton will move to 11.20am.

Both councils had agreed the new Whatawhata service would continue only if there was demand.

WRC transport subcommittee chairwoman Paula Southgate said the new Whatawhata service and cuts to the Raglan service provided "a short to medium-term solution".

She has written to the Minister of Transport and Minister of Education to discuss the impact of fare recoveries, school bus policies and other school issues over bus services.

Ms Southgate said there would not be an increase in fares "in the short term" but incremental rises would likely be introduced.

"The sustainability in the long-term will depend on our ability to retain funding and the service being used and there is potential for other routes to be altered."

Raglan Community Board member Roger Gallagher said the Whatawhata bus would ease passenger congestion for now but said it was not sustainable as he predicted the local population was growing and high fuel prices would probably result in more people wanting to use the service.

The WRC said changes to the mid-morning bus timetable would allow more backpackers to use the service, freeing up space on the afternoon services.

But Mr Gallagher thought these changes would compromise locals.

"That [10am service] was especially brought forward to the time that it is now because people go into Hamilton and do their shopping and go to their medical appointments and things like that," he said.

"They seem to be giving more priority to backpackers, and the people who are paying their rates to subsidise the bus are being cut out of the service."

EASY RIDE

* A 20-seater bus service from Whatawhata to Hamilton on weekdays starts Monday, May 28.
* The Sunday and public holiday Raglan service will be withdrawn with the final services over Queen's Birthday - Sunday, June 3 and Monday, June 4.
* The 8.30am Hamilton to Raglan service will change to 10.15am from Monday, June 11.
* The 10am departure from Raglan to Hamilton will move to 11.20am.
* More info at www.busit.co.nz.