Three options for city buses

Lollipops, grid or enhanced status quo - that’s the question being asked of Palmerston North residents as Horizons Regional Council gears up for the next stage of its bus network review.

The three network options are based on feedback received in 2013 and work undertaken by a stakeholder group comprised of representatives from UCOL, Massey University, Palmerston North City Council, the New Zealand Transport Agency, transport operators and users.

All three networks run from 6.20am to 7.40pm on weekdays, from 8am to 6pm on weekends and offer late night services from 8 until 11 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. However, the way services are run under each option is quite different.

Chair of Horizons’ Passenger Transport Committee Rachel Keedwell says increased use of public transport is the way of the future and Palmerston North needs a sustainable network to grow with the city’s needs.

“To encourage greater use of public transport and decreased use of private cars we need a really good public transport system. This next stage of the bus review is taking us one step closer to that goal.

“I encourage people who aren’t bus users to still give us feedback on the bus review. This will help us understand why people do and don’t use the buses, and how we could entice more people onto the buses,” she says.

To help people better understand the options, an information booklet has been developed and is available from Horizons, the iSite, the Massey University Library and on-board any Horizons bus.

It will also run as an insert in the Tribune on August 30. People can have their say by completing and returning the survey included in this booklet.

A voting station has also been set up at the Main Street terminal with voting tokens available from bus drivers, Horizons will have a presence at markets and Massey’s flatting expo throughout the feedback period and more information is available online at www.horizons.govt.nz

Feedback will be accepted until end of day Monday September 1 before being collated by Horizons’ transport team and presented back to the Passenger Transport Committee for consideration in November.

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