Residents upset at bus route change

Eurico Charraz and Betty Gallagher are upset a trial bus route in Papamoa East has been changed and no longer runs past their homes. Photo / Carmen Hall

More than 200 Papamoa East residents have signed a petition to bring back a bus route trialled through the suburb which stopped last month.

Pensioner Betty Gallagher said the "bottom of my world fell out" when she discovered the bus would no longer be venturing near her home.

The 82-year-old was not afraid to admit she did not feel confident driving into Tauranga and used public transport.

For three months, Route 33 went along Papamoa Beach Rd into Golden Sands Drive along Wairakei Ave, Emerald Shores Drive and back on to Papamoa Beach Rd. But it has reverted to travelling along Papamoa Beach Rd and Karewa Parade.

Mrs Gallagher who lived close to Wairakei Ave was upset about the change and said walking the extra distance at her age especially with shopping was difficult.

"I have used it again but I am growling to myself the whole time I am doing it.

"I just thought it was wonderful when the bus started to stop at the end of my street and I couldn't understand why they took it away again after such a short amount of time."

She had made a complaint to the council as she heard it surveyed residents but a manager who called her would not confirm the query.

"I just wanted my point of view put across."

Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesman Garry Maloney said the route was changed on December 15 without public consultation and altered back to the original route on March 23 following a mailbox drop seeking people's input.

"In December we had seen an opportunity to extend the potential catchment area for the Tauranga network. It was made as part of a broader Tauranga Network review when a number of route and timetables changes were made.

"The majority of the subsequent feedback did not support the mid-December change."

The mailbox drop to all houses in Wairakei Drive had an excellent response with 37 submissions, 25 against buses on Wairakei Ave, one neutral, and 11 for, he said.

Council would not consider changing the route back in the short term, Mr Maloney said.

"We've consulted the community and the majority of the subsequent feedback did not support the mid-December change. That's not to say that council will not revisit the issue in the medium to longer term."

Figures for 2014 for Route 33 from East Papamoa (between the end of line and start of Dickson Rd) show about 60 people a day were using the service or 240,000 per annum.

Petition organiser Eurico Charraz said he would present the 218 signatures against the latest bus route change to the council.

He lived on Wairakei Ave and said he did not receive any feedback form in the mailbox and neither did most of the people who signed the petition.

The 74-year-old said he did not want to go knocking on doors at his age but wanted to take a stand. "It doesn't make sense to most of the people live around here."

His inquiries revealed those who supported the bus change thought the bus was noisy and wanted their kids to be able to play on the road, Mr Charraz said.