Townsfolk slow to use bio-bus

A new public bus service in Kaitaia is running slickly on fish-and-chip oil but it needs more support to continue.

Bus About Kaitaia was started by the Community Business and Environment Centre (CBEC) to create an environmentally sound passenger service.

The buses will run as long as CBEC can afford it, so the centre would like to see the seats filling up - the more people that use it, the more services can be run.

CBEC business manager Simon Millichamp said a range of people had used the service so far, particularly the elderly - many of whom weren't confident on the open road any more.

"Many like the social aspect of going into town on the bus and having a chinwag on the way," he said.

Waste vegetable oil from food takeaways and other Kaitaia businesses is turned into bio-diesel to run the buses.

At this stage the vehicles are running on 50 per cent bio-diesel and the centre is seeking more sources of vegetable oil so the buses can run fully on bio-diesel.

Warren Snow, who provides marketing and promotions for the service, said the bus benefited the environment.

"As oil becomes more depleted, things like Bus About Kaitaia will become more valuable," he said.

So why has it not been more of a hit?

Mr Snow said people were used to getting around in their cars and the extra effort of working around a timetable hadn't been considered or acted upon by many. CBEC initially met people in the community to gauge how popular the idea of running Bus About Kaitaia was and where the services would be best to run from - now it needed support.

The three buses go to the Saturday market at Kaitaia and one bus stays there so the driver can look after people's goods while they go shopping.

"It is also great for backpackers and those staying in motels and camps."

Bus About Kaitaia provides three services: Aupouri Hopper, which provides transport to and from Pukenui, the East Coaster, to and from Mangonui, and the Ahipara Surfer, to and from Ahipara.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE