Nearly 1600 people have completed a survey looking at travel solutions around the Bay’s two hospital sites.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB) Travel Plan Survey ran for three weeks and a total of 1581 people completed it. Of these, 1180 were BOPDHB employees (representing 34% of staff) and 401 were patients and visitors. The survey gathered base data for travel in and around the BOPDHB’s two hospital sites in Tauranga and Whakatane.

“It was a fantastic response and we’d like to thank everyone for really getting on board with it,” said Medical Officer of Health Dr Phil Shoemack, who is a member of the BOPDHB Travel Plan Group. “We’ve got a lot of great data now from what is a large sample size which is terrific. The comments sections have been revealing as well with some themes coming through and some great suggestions being made.”

Every survey respondent was in to win weekly prizes of bike vouchers (up to a $60 value), pre-loaded $40 bus vouchers (for use across the Bay of Plenty), as well as the grand prize of an e-bike trial for a week.

The final 14 prize winners have now been drawn and contacted. Helen Surgeoner, from Tauranga, won the grand prize of a week-long e-bike trial.

“This is really stage one in the sense of gathering the data,” said Dr Shoemack. “We’re working our way through all of that now. This information will feed into the BOPDHB Travel Plan which we will have finalised by the end of the year. This will then be submitted to the Executive for their consideration.”

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