New high-frequency bus route to operate in Whanganui from February next year

A new high-frequency bus service between Aramoho and Castlecliff Beach will start operation in February 2023. Photo / Paul Brooks

People hoping for more public transport options in Whanganui can look forward to February 2023 when a new high-frequency bus route begins operation.

The new bus route is a collaboration between the Whanganui District and Horizons Regional Councils.

Buses will run every 20 minutes in both directions between Aramoho and Castlecliff Beach, passing through Gonville, Whanganui Hospital and the CBD along the route.

The service will run every 20 minutes from 7am to 7pm on weekdays and 9am to 3pm Saturdays.

On Friday nights, the service will run hourly from 7pm to 11pm.

Whanganui District Council's representative on Horizons Passenger Transport Committee Anthonie Tonnon said Whanganui was ideally set up for public transport.

"Much of our housing was built along tram corridors on streets like Glasgow St and Cornfoot St and the high numbers of people who still live near these corridors make this route possible."

The route is being implemented after a study by SIL Research showed a high number of Whanganui people were interested in taking public transport but that low frequencies and a lack of information were the biggest hurdles to doing so.

SIL's research showed the most common reason for travelling in Whanganui was shopping, followed by work, socialising and visiting hospitality and entertainment venues.

Map of the route of the new high-frequency bus service coming to Whanganui in February 2023. Photo / Supplied

Tonnon said the service would make catching the bus for shopping an easy option because there would always be a bus less than 20 minutes away.

"The late-night service on Fridays means people can plan to leave their car at home and stay later to dine in the city and the Saturday service means people will have an easy way to take public transport to and from the Saturday markets," he said.

Once the service is in operation, Tonnon said feedback from the community will help Horizons and the district council plan improvements to the city's public transport network and consider extending high-frequency services to other routes.

Name that route

The Whanganui community can also get involved with the service before it is rolled out, as the council wants people to have their say to help name the route.

People drop their suggestions at their local library or online via the council's website, but they must be done before 5pm on Thursday, November 17.

Entries should include the suggested name, a reason why it's a good name and the entrant's contact details.

The council's favourite entries will go in the draw to win one of three $100 grocery vouchers.

A council spokesperson said the suggested names would not become the official title of the route, but they would be used as inspiration for it.

Tonnon said giving the naming of the route to the city was inspired by other cities.

"Other cities with frequent routes have given their routes a name. We'd love to find a name that feels like us, which is why we're going out to the community for ideas.

"Auckland has its InnerLink route, Christchurch has the Orbiter and Hamilton has the Comet. Help us come up with a great bus route name that you'd love to see moving Whanganui people around," Tonnon said.