Hamilton Meteor bus outperforms previous Silverdale and Frankton routes

Meteor at its central city stop outside the Hamilton Transport Centre on Ward Street. Photo / Waikato Regional Council

Hamilton’s newly established Meteor bus service has seen a massive increase in passengers traveling on board.

Launched by the Waikato Regional Council in late August, the Metor replaced the Silverdale (2) and Frankton (8) bus lines with a more regular service and less need for passengers to change services in the CBD.

The council said Meteor passenger numbers were outperforming the ones of previous routes by 85 per cent.

The Meteor carried an average of 9124 passengers a week over a seven-week period. During the same period last year, the old services averaged 4940 passengers a week.

Peak-time passenger numbers have also increased by 48 per cent and weekday numbers are also up by 83 per cent.

Councillor and deputy chairwoman of the Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee Angela Strange said it was great the service was working well and “giving people good reason” to use public transport.

“We’re really pleased to see that peak time passenger numbers are up by almost half because the data shows that the service suits people’s busy schedules. As a result, we will be reducing congestion on our roads and our emissions at the same time”, Strange said.

The bus service was developed by the council after public feedback indicated a need for more frequent services like the Comet and Orbiter.

As of October 15, the Meteor has completed 63,868 passenger trips, with the council estimating the service to reach 100,000 trips by the second week of November.

The Meteor runs west to east from Rotokauri Transport Hub, through Nawton, Dinsdale and Frankton, stopping in the CBD on Bryce Street at the Transport Centre, then across the bridge to Hamilton East, past the University of Waikato to Ruakura, Hillcrest and Silverdale.

It has a direct route past the Hamilton Transport Centre to the other side of the city.

The Meteor now also extends its northwestern reach to the Rotokauri Transport Hub and shifts onto Commerce Street instead of Lake Road through Frankton.

It runs every 15 minutes during peak times, from 7am to 6pm on weekdays, and 20-30 minutes at all other times.

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