Thursday morning on Te Ngae Rd near the Sala St intersection. Photo / Andrew Warner
Thursday morning on Te Ngae Rd near the Sala St intersection. Photo / Andrew Warner
Frustration over traffic congestion on Te Ngae Rd has prompted a Rotorua lobby group to call for free public transport for eastside residents.
Evolve Rotorua is calling on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to offer the free service while roadworks are being carried out on Te Ngae Rd.
Theroadworks, which includes replacing the Tarawera Rd roundabout with traffic lights, have been a talking point in Rotorua this week as a result of commuters saying it was taking between 30 and 45 minutes to get to work.
The NZ Transport Agency said some tweaks to traffic management meant the delays were shorter today, compared with Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
The congestion is the result of a slip lane being closed at the Sala St intersection with Te Ngae Rd. Traffic is still being allowed to turn left on to Sala St from the east but only at the lights.
The slip lane will be closed until the start of December while work is done in the bridge area.
CityRide bus fares cost $2.80 ($1.70 concession) or $2.24 with a Bee Card ($1.34 concession) and children under 5 are free.
Evolve Rotorua spokesman Ryan Gray. Photo / File
Evolve Rotorua spokesman Ryan Gray said, for those who didn't need to drive, taking the bus was a "no brainer".
"If one person decides to take the bus, that's one less car on the road - if 50 people take the bus, that's 50 less cars congesting the roads."
Gray said Evolve Rotorua was calling on authorities to work in partnership with the community to find solutions to help get people to where they needed to be in time.
"Anecdotal reports of people taking 30 minutes to travel less than a kilometre seems crazy, particularly when you consider that a gentle bike ride into the CBD on Rotorua's cycleways takes less time.
"Offering free public transport could be just the ticket to encourage those who can leave their car at home to help free up the roads for those who absolutely must drive."
Gray said the regional council should also consider increasing the frequency of buses to both ensure demand could be met and buses were operating frequently for user convenience.
Lyall Thurston
Bay of Plenty Regional Council transport committee chairman Lyall Thurston from Rotorua said it was definitely worth considering.
"I'll send off an email now," he told the Rotorua Daily Post.
However, he said international research showed offering free services did little to increase usage.
"I don't know if it's been done before for roadworks."
He said previous free bus trials in the Bay of Plenty hadn't worked.
"We are happy to trial anything because bus patronage in Rotorua is woeful. It has been dropping quite dramatically in the last five years."
He said, unfortunately, we were a "car-obsessed culture".
"People will not get out of their cars."
Regional council public transport delivery team lead Jen Proctor said it would look at all public transport fares in its next Long Term Plan and would consult with the community early next year.
However, she said it had previously been found free fares were not viable for several reasons, including cost to ratepayers and passengers causing damage to the buses.
Should public transport be free during eastside roadworks? Photo / File
"If bus users are not paying a fare, then the cost of the bus services need to be paid for by ratepayers through increased rates. The regional council is very aware of the impacts of Covid-19 on the Rotorua community."
She said all councils nationwide experienced social issues on public transport while fares were free during the Covid-19 response period.
"When there is no cost for the service, some members of the public treat public transport as if it has no value. A significant increase in damage to buses was observed across much of New Zealand during that period, for example, increased graffiti, torn seats and litter, etc."
She said the Te Ngae Rd roadworks were having an adverse effect on the bus service and it was being monitored by the bus operator and regional council staff.
Meanwhile, NZTA acting portfolio delivery manager Jo Wilton said staff started earlier and made changes to the traffic light phasing at the Sala St intersection, prioritising more green light time for the westbound traffic.
"It also appears more people are choosing to travel earlier which is assisting with the peak travel congestion."
She said staff noted delays reached a maximum of 18 minutes for a period of one-and-a-half hours between 7.45am and 9.15am.
This is compared to Tuesday morning when more significant delays were experienced for more than three hours, she said.
"It is likely the delays experienced today provide a good indication of what people can expect for the remainder of the slip lane closure, until early December."
Wilton encouraged motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time for their travel.
