A free shuttle service linking Christchurch Hospital to Christchurch City Council's Lichfield Street parking building begins running today.

The new service replaces the shuttle that the Canterbury District Health Board has been running form the Deans Avenue carpark site since 2015. It means that people heading to Christchurch Hospital by car can now park undercover in the central city and then take a shuttle directly to the hospital’s main entrance.

You can now catch the hospital shuttle from the Lichfield Street Car Park building.

“I’m thrilled we have been able to assist the Canterbury District Health Board to provide people a safe, undercover car park they can use when attending hospital appointments or visiting patients,’’ says Christchurch City Council Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee Chair Cr Pauline Cotter.

“The Christchurch City Council has extended the first-hour free parking offer at the Lichfield Street parking building through until the end of January next year so that will help keep the costs down for those taking advantage of the new shuttle service.

“We know that finding a park by the hospital can, at times, be difficult we trust this new initiative will make a positive difference for patients and visitors,'' Cr Cotter says.

CDHB Support Services Manager Rachel Cadle says: "The Canterbury DHB is very pleased to have been able to take up this opportunity to relocate our hospital shuttle to the Lichfield Street Car Park building and improve our service for patients and visitors to the hospital.

"The ability for everyone to wait under cover, in a secure, purpose-built environment is a great advantage for all our shuttle users,''

How to catch the shuttle

The Canterbury DHB's hospital shuttle is easy to use. Drive in at 33 Lichfield Street, take a ticket, park anywhere there’s a space, and catch a ride to Christchurch Hospital from the waiting area on Level 2A.

The shuttle will bring you back to Level 2A after your appointment

Pay before you return to your car, and drive out.

The parking building has lifts and stairs between all floors. The pay station on the ground floor takes cash and cards or use the pay station on Level 2A for cards only.

Prefer to walk?

It’s roughly a 10 minute walk from the Lichfield Street Car Park building to the hospital. Yellow route markers have been erected along the best walking route to help people find their way.

If you decide to walk, due to the current road works, it is recommended you exit the parking building onto Cashel Mall and walk along Cashel Street to Montreal Street, through the Memorial Arch.

Turn left into Montreal Street and then right onto Cambridge Terrace where you can follow the river to the footbridge by the Antigua boatsheds. The footbridge leads across to the hospital campus.

For more information see cdhb.health.nz/parking(external link) or call 0800 555 300.

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