Hamilton bus timetable change sees 102 more trips a week as patronage improves

The Chartwell service will make six extra return trips each week during peak times. Photo / Waikato Regional Council

Hamilton’s bus services are receiving a boost with 102 extra trips each week.

Significant timetable changes to incorporate the extra services will come into place on February 5, when nearly all suburban routes will run every 30 to 40 minutes during peak times.

Waikato Regional Councillor and deputy chairwoman of the Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee Angela Strange said over the last few years, more frequent services had a positive effect on patronage.

“We keep seeing improvements to our numbers with the likes of the Comet and Meteor so we are confident that these changes will affect these services in a similar way.”

The Chartwell (5) and Fitzroy (12) bus services will each make six extra return trips a week, and the Claudelands (14) bus moves to 40-minute frequency on weekdays.

The Hamilton Gardens University (17) bus will make 11 extra return trips during weekday peak times per week and will move to hourly weekend trips, so tourists and locals have more options to visit the gardens.

Meanwhile, the Jellicoe/Hayes Common area will now be serviced by the Hamilton Gardens University (17) bus, rather than the Hillcrest (10).

The high-frequency Comet and Meteor services will also adjust their schedules slightly to improve timing for passengers boarding the Te Huia train service at Rotokauri Station.

The changes are part of the 2021 Busit Refresh programme that gathered public feedback to assess current bus patronage after Covid lockdowns disrupted the timetable and services.

Waikato Regional Council’s customer focus of public transport services team leader, Sandra Sesto-Dekic said the changes took public feedback into account.

She said the two key themes that emerged from the feedback were more morning services and shorter waits between services (under an hour).

Timetables for each route are available online.

Printed timetables can now be picked up from the Busit counter at the Hamilton Transport Centre.

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