Tauranga bus routes to be reinstated

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council will be reinstating some of Tauranga's bus routes over the next six weeks.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Strategy and Science general manager Namouta Poutasi said after public feedback, Route 41 from Maungatapu to the central business district, operating during the off-peak period, will begin on June 24.

"Changes to the Employment Relations Act around bus driver rest and meal breaks meant we had to delay the services until we had certainty around the new timetables," Poutasi said.

Route 36 from Pāpāmoa via Maungatapu to the CBD will service Maungatapu during peak times for commuters from July 8.

Route 71 from Matua via Brookfield is set to resume the same day.

The current Route 70 would continue to provide a direct service from Matua along Ngatai Rd for passengers travelling during peak times only.

Poutasi said it has been a joint effort between the regional council and contractor NZ Bus to get the reinstated routes up and running.

"Changes to the Employment Relations Act around bus driver rest and meal breaks meant we had to delay the services until we had certainty around the new timetables," she said.

The new routes and timetables can be found on the Bay Bus website.