Public buses in Horizons region will remain music free

Whanganui's Te Ngaru The Tide bus, which operates between Aramoho and Castlecliff. Photo / NZME

Public buses in Whanganui will remain music-free despite some members of the public saying the silence unnerved them.

A motion to give drivers the choice to play music was voted against by Horizons Regional Council’s public transport committee.

Whanganui District Council representative Anthonie Tonnon said it was important people had “the choice of mediating” their own experience on buses.

He said the best-performing bus services in Australasia had 50 to 80 trips per person a year and Wellington and Auckland were the only areas in New Zealand that reached those levels.

Both had a policy of no music and he did not know of any services with similar numbers in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) that did.

No music also meant the possibility of introducing onboard audio announcements about transfers and connections, Tonnon said.

“These are really important for regular users but a huge deal for the accessibility community.”

Horizons is in charge of bus services for the Whanganui, Tararua, Manawatū, Horowhenua, Rangitīkei and Ruapehu districts, and Palmerston North city.

Whanganui’s most popular service is the high-frequency Te Ngaru The Tide, which operates between Aramoho and Castlecliff.

The council created an on-board survey when Palmerston North’s electric bus fleet began service in March.

Common passenger feedback was a request for music because “the silence of the fleet unnerved them”.

A survey followed in August and September, with 391 responses.

Results were split between “I like it” (34%), “I don’t mind” (31.46%) and “I really don’t like it” (34.53%).

Council chairwoman Rachel Keedwell favoured giving drivers the choice to play music or not, as long as it was unobtrusive.

“I think there was one driver who had a ghetto blaster, which probably wasn’t so good, and he was singing at the top of his lungs but he has toned it down,” she said.

“Excluding that sort of behaviour, I haven’t seen a problem.”

Palmerston North city councillor Brent Barrett said not long ago people in that city complained about the smell and noise of diesel buses.

“For me, the balance sits with keeping music off the bus or in people’s earbuds.

“There is a perfectly viable way for people to enjoy whatever music experience they want.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.