The Tide bus service will expand with the new network launch. Photo / NZME
Bus fares will be free for the next month as Whanganui’s new bus network launches.
Connect - Horizons Regional Transport will launch the new network on Friday, April 17, the inaugural World Public Transport Day.
Rides will be free until May 17.
Horizons Regional Council transport services manager Mark Read said the free period aimed to lower the barrier for people who wanted to try the new network.
“We have noticed more people asking questions about our services across the region since petrol prices started rising,” he said.
“The free services are a great way for Whanganui people to see just where they can get to across the city by using public transport.”
Read said having buses run later in the evenings, improving Saturday services and introducing Sunday services would better connect the community and support the city’s growth.
Some bus stops will be removed from current routes, including on Cornfoot St, Heads Rd, Paterson St and others.
Read said this was to ensure services were as efficient as possible.
“By putting a little more space between stops, drivers will not need to stop so often. This is being done as required to ensure there is still equitable access to services for people across Whanganui,” he said.
“This is all part of moving the Whanganui bus network to focus more on getting as many people on board as possible. Boosting patronage will mean fuller buses and reduced congestion for those who need to drive.”
Read acknowledged that some users on or heading to non-main streets may have their usual bus stops removed.
He said 52% of Whanganui residents lived within 400m of a route which would run every 20 minutes, and 72% within 400m of a route operating at least every hour.
“The current network only has 31% of Whanganui residents living within a bus running every hour,” he said.
“Many streets in Whanganui have stops very close together ... this can mean a slower, less efficient trip for everyone as the driver must stop more often.”
New stops are being installed before the launch, particularly in new route areas such as Pūtiki, Read said.
“During the network redesign process, we’ve worked with Whanganui District Council to make sure stops are where they need to be,” he said.
The network would benefit from $1.1 million of government co-funding through the Transport Choices programme in 2023 and 2024, Read said.
That increased the number of bus shelters, improved bicycle parking at some shelters and added real-time information displays at key locations.
“This work, combined with the bus network improvements, will make catching public transport in Whanganui an even more attractive option - something especially important at the moment with the increasing price of fuel,” Read said.
Horizons staff will be present across the network on April 18-19 to support bus users and offer advice.
“We know any change can take time to come to grips with, so having staff on the ground at key stops and on buses is one way we can assist people,” Read said.
Staff will be at the Whanganui River Markets on Saturday, April 18, with timetables and free Bee Cards.
“Google Maps and Apple Maps have already been updated with the new routes. People wanting to plan their trips on the new network using those tools should make sure to select the ‘public transport’ option and change the travel date to April 17 or later,” Read said.
Hardcopy timetables are available on buses and at Whanganui’s iSite, Horizons’ Guyton St office and Whanganui District Council’s office.
For more information about the Whanganui urban bus network, including a map, visit www.horizons.govt.nz/buses-transport/whanganui-network.
Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.