Bay of Plenty Regional Council is looking to use current public transport resources more efficiently and make bus travel easier as part of proposed changes to the Tauranga bus network.
The Council is inviting customer and community feedback on proposed changes to the network to improve journeys around the city and suburbs. The public consultation is now open for submissions until Friday, April 28.
Regional Council Transport Planning Manager, Oliver Haycock, says an effective public transport system plays a significant role in the growth of the city.
'This project proposes changing bus routes and adjusting services to address known challenges experienced by our customers and to meet demand.
'An exciting element of our proposal is the new Route 1 service, running the full length of Cameron Road before heading over the Harbour Bridge to Mount Maunganui. This is in response to feedback that we have received previously about better connecting Te Papa peninsula with Mount Maunganui.”
Regional Council is inviting feedback on specific bus services to provide more convenient travel choices and encouraging people to have a say online, in person or by post.
The Tauranga bus network refresh started in November 2021 and used community feedback to help design and implement direct services from Papamoa to Tauranga CBD and simplified bus routes between Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.
This next stage of the refresh focuses on improving routes in the west and south of Tauranga including Matua, Ōtūmoetai, the CBD, Greerton, Pyes Pā, The Lakes/Tauriko, Ohauiti and Welcome Bay.
Whilst Regional Council is not responsible for the placement or provision of bus stops and shelters, any comments related to infrastructure will be passed onto Tauranga City Council for consideration.
Following public consultation, the feedback will be analysed and incorporated into the proposal. Regional Council plan to share the updated network design in June 2023 and then begin planning for implementation.
For more information, please view the consultation booklet, which outlines the proposed changes.
Submissions can be made over the next four weeks:
- Online at boprc.govt.nz/bus-network-refresh
- Keep an eye out for Regional Council staff providing information at busy bus stops or visit our Customer Service Centre at 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
- Freepost 122076, Attention: Transport Team, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, PO Box 364, Whakatāne
13 comments
Hmmm
Posted on 03-04-2023 10:33 | By Let's get real
Because of traffic calming measures and numerous sections of busy roads being reduced from two lanes of traffic to one, travelling on public transport is slower and less user friendly than using your own vehicle. I suspect that if traffic was allowed to flow freely and public transport was just as efficient as a car, it might get used more. Who wants to be stuck in traffic with strangers on a loser cruiser.
I'll give them my thoughts on this.
Posted on 03-04-2023 11:33 | By morepork
It won't make any difference but at least I'll know I tried... There are 4 suggestions I'd like to make: 1. The buses are the wrong size for our roads and create more traffic problems than they solve. 2. There should be smart software monitoring the network. (Systems like "Swiftly" could make buses much more viable.) 3. Despite a forlorn hope by government, cars are here to stay. Deal with it and manage the transport routes for buses AND cars. 4. Hong Kong is probably the best City in the world for public transport; can we learn something from them?
Nah cut the cost
Posted on 03-04-2023 12:45 | By an_alias
The buses are not required and no one uses them much. How about you tell us the usage ? Nah just pretend its great
@morepork
Posted on 03-04-2023 12:51 | By Let's get real
Unfortunately, whilst we have school children using the public bus system, there is little chance of bus sizes being reduced. I'm pretty sure that user numbers for the public service are being bolstered by school children that don't want to use the free school buses that service every school. Drivers are told that they can not leave a child at the side of the road (rightly so) but there is nothing to encourage or force children to only use the designated school buses. Maybe charging children again on public services would alter the landscape.
Hooray route 1
Posted on 03-04-2023 14:07 | By Kancho
To me route one was always the main route previously. So reinstating it will fix my problems with using the bus. To get from Pyes Pa to the hospital and city and on to the mount. Let's hope no fish hooks and I just as it was before .
Imagine the road we could have if the subsidy money was spent on roads
Posted on 03-04-2023 14:57 | By Bill S
Cnr Ken Shirley questions the fact that Environment BOP has never done an assessment of the patronage in Tauranga since running the public bus service in Tauranga . The public have never been asked what would tempt them out of their cars and onto the bus. The reason is that in my opinion 90% of Tauranga residents excluding the school buses customers would answer that they have no intention of getting on the bus full stop. The bus customers are people that either don't have a car ,or don't have a license. In an affluent city like Tauranga that will be a small number .Even the Gold Card members for whom the bus is free hardly ever catch the bus. Therefore it follows that the reason this imformation is not avaliable is because the powers that be want the buses whatever the cost.
waste
Posted on 03-04-2023 15:51 | By terry hall
they pass my house everyday going round and round empty not a sole in cite, such a waste of ratepayer money.
@ By Bill S
Posted on 03-04-2023 22:01 | By The Caveman
I could NOT have put it better!!!!!!!!
Bus Service
Posted on 04-04-2023 19:18 | By peter pan
I live in Brookfield and the closest bus stop is 1 klm from my home, so i do not use the bus. There are thousands of people in and around the city like myself. If the Council want people to use the bus service there has to be a safe park and ride area for folk to leave their car.
Ditch The Big Empty Buses
Posted on 04-04-2023 19:53 | By Yadick
A few can stay for school runs otherwise ditch the monstrosities and introduce luxury mini buses/vans. 15 seaters. Could even have Tea and coffee available :-) Drop the excessive fees demanded of us through the BOPRC Rates we're paying for empty council dreams hogging our roads. Between empty buses, parking meters and unwanted Museums . . . Oh my gosh . . .
@Let's get real
Posted on 06-04-2023 14:52 | By morepork
I take your point about school buses, but they don't have to be large... just schedule more of them. And I agree with your very good point about requiring kids to ride on them and charging kids on normal buses.
Withdraw my hooray
Posted on 09-04-2023 14:24 | By Kancho
Only for people with boundless amount of time to go anywhere. Seems the old route 1 is not reinstated as I thought. Looking at the proposed route it doesn't go on Pyes Pa road so still a transfer to get to the hospital ? If so will still be in my car for regular trips to the hospital. We shall see what happens to the new route 23 seems complicated . Last week tried to go to the city but bus never arrived so took car anyway
I've said it before...
Posted on 11-04-2023 10:26 | By WestieMum
...and I'll say it again.. invest in park and rides!!! The city is only go to grow more and more, look to the future and provide a place where people can park then catch smaller more frequent buses, making express services (limited stops) into/out of the hubs at peak times. It will never be as cheap as it is today to buy the land to do this, instead of waiting until all the land is taken and costs more to buy. Keep the kiddies on school busses and off public ones, unless they pay. The bus I need to catch is full of school kids in the mornings and not always an enjoyable ride, so I don't anymore.
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