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No’ to bus service reductions says Kapiti Coast
February 03, 2011
‘No’ to bus service reductions
Council’s Environment & Community Development committee is saying ‘no’ to any reductions in the bus services between Ōtaki to Paraparaumu planned by Greater Wellington Regional Council from February 20, chair Penny Gaylor says.
After hearing from a number of concerned people in ‘public speaking’ and reviewing a paper on the issue, the Committee resolved to send a message to Greater Wellington Regional Council “that this committee is deeply concerned with some of the changes to the bus routes and timetables proposed by Greater Wellington Regional Council and is saying ‘No’ to any reduced bus services between Ōtaki and Paraparaumu.”
The committee has also requested an urgent meeting between representatives of the Regional Council and a Council Working Party to address the Committee and community’s concerns.
The working party will comprise Councillor Penny Gaylor from Ōtaki, Councillor Tony Lloyd from Waikanae, Deputy Mayor Roger Booth and Councillor Tony Lester from Paraparaumu.
With timetables already printed there is community concern that there is no opportunity for change.
“We do not accept that,” Councillor Lester said. “We need to send a message that reductions in service are not acceptable unless and until a thorough review of the existing services is carried out and the impacts clearly understood.”
From February 20, bus services from Ōtaki and Waikanae will terminate at Waikanae Railway Station instead of Coastlands.
The Committee heard that a significant number of the users of the service are old or infirm. Under the proposed changes passengers will be forced to get off a bus, wait at Waikanae station, and then catch a train to Paraparaumu only to find they have a walk of about 400 metres through pedestrian underpasses to reach Coastlands.
“Based on deprivation statistics, the elderly and the young in our Ōtaki community are greatly disadvantaged. And to add insult to that injury residents in the Ōtaki Ward pay grossly more than their share of the Regional Council’s urban residential transport rate. We deserve better from the Regional Council,” Penny Gaylor said.
ENDS
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