Commencing in December, just in time for when most schools finish, the new bus route from Maungatapu to the city will be the ‘crosstown bus'. So when the school term starts in 2019, instead of an 11-15 minute single bus direct route to Tauranga Girls' and Boys' Colleges via 15th Avenue, there's a 45-minute (at best) bus via Ohauiti Road to Greerton, where students will disembark and catch another bus to school.

This ‘solution' won't only affect students, but many other bus travellers. In New Zealand, we usually come from the starting position of moving people in the cheapest way, which, more often than not, is not the most efficient.

The starting position for Tauranga buses must surely be how can we get the most cars off the road at peak hour? There's hardly any traffic congestion in the mornings during school holidays, which suggests a decent school bus solution for students is a good way to reduce congestion, road costs and emissions, and improve productivity. Make it a ‘$1 a day' ride for students and watch the buses fill, but it seems the priority is buses to shopping centres ahead of the CBD and schools.

W Hunter, Maungatapu (Abridged).