New bus timetables reflect community feedback

The new timetable starts on Sunday June 14. Photo / File

Weekend services for Te Puke, new bus routes and a change in bus-stops to help the visually impaired are just some of the changes to the new Tauranga bus timetable.

The changes made by Bay of Plenty Regional Council have come about following community feedback received in 2019 after consultation.

The new timetable starts on Sunday June 14 and sees the Goldline route extended to Te Puke offering six return trips a day, seven days a week, from Mt Maunganui to Te Puke via Bayfair and Pāpāmoa Plaza.

Regional Council Public Transport Chairman Andrew von Dadelszen said a 76 per cent increase in patronage in the last 12 months on the Te Puke service had resulted in additional services.

"In February 2019 we had 1500 people a month using the service. In February this year that had grown to 2,786 people a month," he said.

Feedback from the visually impaired community will also see a change at the current Farm Street bus stop with Stand A splitting into A1 and A2.

"Because of the length of the bus stop it was difficult to see the numbers on the buses as they approached. By splitting Stand A into two, people will now know where to wait for their bus."

Stand A1 will be for the Cross Town, Hospital Link and City Link services.

There are two new routes 51 & 57.

51 is seven days a week between 9am & 3pm, linking Pyes Pā with The Lakes and Tauranga Crossing

57 is a weekend only service between 10am and 3pm, linking Greerton and Pyes Pā with the Pyes Pā Memorial Gardens

A number of routes will now utilise the bus stop on Durham Street close to the Waikato University campus.

For further timetable changes click here.