More people are using buses in Waipā – now double decker electric buses are coming.
Double decker electric buses will operate from Leamington and Kihikihi through to Hamilton and back from January 1.
The news was in a report tabled by Waikato Regional Council’s public transport planner Katherine Simpson to the Regional Transport committee on Monday.
Timing is tight for the new Waipā service because of delays in the completion of electric vehicle depots on land in both communities made available by Waipā District Council to the regional council on long-term leases.
The regional council knows there are supply chain risks associated with ordering the new electric buses and the charging infrastructure.
“Risk mitigation measures have been put in place to ensure business continuity of the new service delivery model from January 2024,” said Simpson.
The fully electric fleet, replacing diesel vehicles, will include double decker buses and there will be more trips.
Statistics released to The News show regional bus travel from Cambridge – and across the district in Te Awamutu – and back from Hamilton is exceeding pre Covid levels.
Trip numbers dipped in winter but headed upwards last month with passenger numbers for Te Awamutu at 10,480 and 9217 for Cambridge.
That compares favourably with March when Te Awamutu had 10,565 passengers and 9586 in Cambridge.
Simpson told the Regional Transport committee the new Waipā service – operated by Tranzit Group – would operate within the existing Regional 20 and 24 timetables.
Two other services travelling through Waipā – in collaboration with Waka Kotahi and district councils in South Waikato, Waitomo and Ōtorohanga – launched in February.
Simpson said patrons catching the Te Kūiti 26 and Tokoroa 32 connector services – the services pick up passengers in Kihikihi, Te Awamutu, Ōhaupō and Cambridge – were increasing.
The Ministry of Education and Waikato University each contributed $40,000 to fund the 18-month trial and are actively promoting the single trip into Hamilton and back – in time for the academic workday – to their students.
There is still no news on plans to introduce a bus service around Cambridge. Earlier this year Waikato medical professional Luk Chin said he wanted to help the town develop an internal public transport link using electric buses.
The News understands that work forms part of the Cambridge Connections business case which has been delayed by months due to technical issues with traffic modelling figures.
