The proposed route runs through central Whanganui and past the hospital, connecting Aramoho and Castlecliff. Photo / File
The proposed route runs through central Whanganui and past the hospital, connecting Aramoho and Castlecliff. Photo / File
A new high-frequency bus route for Whanganui is unlikely to start until early 2023 but will be worth the wait, public transport advocate Anthonie Tonnon says.
Tonnon is Whanganui District Council's representative on Horizons Regional Council's passenger transport committee. He's been working with staff from the two councils on theproposal and met with Transport Minister Michael Wood in November.
The new "connector" route will run between Aramoho and Castlecliff every 20 minutes between 7am and 7pm on weekdays, taking in the city's main shopping area and passing Whanganui Hospital.
"It needed a genuine change in model, not just a tweak," Tonnon said.
The 20-minute frequency was the minimum Tonnon and his working group were willing to consider and they didn't want to slash other services to provide it.
"We didn't want anyone to lose their existing service," Tonnon said.
Aramoho people will be able to jump on the bus and go to the beach, returning the same day, and Castlecliff people will be able to get to and from the Whanganui River Markets on Saturdays.
The proposed route runs through central Whanganui and past the hospital, connecting Aramoho and Castlecliff. Image / supplied
The bus route will start in Aramoho, upriver from the Aramoho Railway Bridge, head down Somme Pde and Glasgow St, swing left through central Whanganui and head down Taupō Quay, Heads Rd and Puriri St to finish at Rangiora St in Castlecliff.
On Friday nights, when other transport options are limited, it will run hourly from 7pm to 11pm, and on Saturdays hourly from 9am to 3pm.
The new buses will be 51 per cent funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. The remaining cost will be split between the two councils.
The cost will be $990,000 a year, a Horizons report said, with about $125,000 and four extra buses needed to get the route started.
Fares are expected to pay only 10 per cent of the cost.
The way funding was factored into long-term plans meant the service was unlikely to start until early 2023, Tonnon said. The initial plan was for a 24-month trial, but funding would only stretch to 17 months.
However, the delay will allow time for new branding and communications, and the service will be reviewed after six to nine months. If it is successful, more high frequency routes could be added.
Whanganui use of public transport has been declining for nine years.
Horizons' long-term vision was to provide a land transport system that was environmentally sound, safe, efficient, sustainable and accessible, councillor Sam Ferguson said.
The change supported the Whanganui council's shared pathways programmes and climate change strategy and should appeal to new users, mayor Hamish McDouall said.
At the same time, Horizons is consulting on a regional public transport plan for the next 10 years. It aims to make public transport attractive to people other than those without cars. Submissions are due by December 17.
