Bus schedule a problem for students

Polytech students are struggling to get to morning classes on time because of the city's bus schedule.

Two architecture classmates at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic say Papamoa students are being disadvantaged because there isn't an early bus that will take them into Tauranga.

Thomas Crane, 17, said the scarcity of morning buses had affected his studies as it was difficult for him to make the beginning of his 8am lessons because there are no buses that can get him there.

"We get to Tech [late] and the teachers will say, 'You've already missed half an hour of class'," he said.

From his parents' home in Papamoa, where he lives, it takes him about an hour and a half to get to class. The earliest bus from Papamoa leaves at 6.35am and doesn't reach the Tauranga CBD bus stop until 7.35am - 25 minutes after a bus that would take him to the Windermere campus leaves. The next bus, leaving the CBD at 7.50am, doesn't get to the polytech until between 8.20am-8.30am.

He was now searching for a car to buy, so he wouldn't have to be stressed about the early starts and late buses.

Fellow first-year student Abi Hubbard, 19, had been in a similar position until she recently moved. She had been travelling to the polytech from Papamoa East, but has recently moved to a flat within walking distance of her class. She said the bus dilemma was a contributing factor to her move. Abi had "made a pretty big deal out of it" by complaining to her tutors.

Richard Vanderjagt, business development manager at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, said the institute was aware of the situation. "We've been looking at it for the past year. It's a long, complicated process. We've been working with the regional council, who run the buses, around putting on more buses at more times. But I think it basically comes down to cost," he said.

Mr Vanderjagt said it was important for the polytech to have a transport system that was even for all students.

"For us, we'd want routes that suit our students. If we can get every student attending class and every student happy then that's our goal," he said.

He said that students from peripheral suburbs such as Papamoa and Welcome Bay were being forced to travel to the Willow St CBD terminal in order to transfer out to Windermere, which meant a lot of time spent on buses.

"At the moment, as it currently stands, everything goes through the central hub," he said.

Emlyn Hatch, acting transport policy manager for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, said the council was looking at ways to improve services for students studying at the polytech.

"The service that currently serves the polytech is at capacity a lot of the time. We recognise the need to put a larger bus on route 55 and also to see which services could divert to the polytech from other routes. What we're looking at is that student numbers are growing. [But] other routes are on the cards," he said.

The plans are to maintain the majority of their bus routes via the CBD hub because Census research has shown that most people travel there, but the council is looking at additional services.

Mr Hatch recommended commuters contact BayBus on 0800 422 928 to lodge complaints and route suggestions. He said commuter feedback could help the council devise an improved timetable.