The Cambridge to Hamilton service picks up passengers outside the Town Hall. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
A Waipā bus service between Cambridge and Te Awamutu is some years off but more buses and increased frequency on existing routes could come as early as next year.
The success of the Meteor in Hamilton has shown Waikato Regional Council, which funds public transport, that “frequency is the solution.”
Public transport customer focus team leader Sandra Seston-Dekic told The News the 24 Te Awamutu and the 20 Cambridge regional services, which run with four buses, will increase with the addition of new electric and double decker buses.
Buses will then run from 6am to 10pm weekly – currently 6.50am to 7.05pm in Cambridge and 6.50am to 6.15pm in Te Awamutu – from mid next year.
But a new fixed route from Cambridge to Te Awamutu and return was a number of years away and subject to funding from both New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and Waipā District Council, she said.
“(Waipā) has a transport business case that stages out the proposed public transport service enhancement and coverage within the district. One of these options included a possible new fixed route Cambridge to Te Awamutu service.”
The electric buses will recharge at new depots in Kihikihi and Leamington which are currently under construction on land provided by Waipā.
The number of people catching regional bus services between Waipā and Hamilton are now well ahead of pre Covid levels.
Cambridge continues to lag behind with 8174 trips last month compared to Te Awamutu’s 8983. The busiest month for both towns was in March when 10,565 caught buses on the Te Awamutu route and 9586 in Cambridge.
The added option of taking the faster Tokoroa and Te Kūiti connector services – which only run once a day – has some appeal to those who know about it, which appears to be Wintec and Waikato University staff and students only.
Packed buses are a feature of the Te Awamutu and Cambridge to Hamilton routes.
“They’re trial services a little bit dictated by the university and Wintec,” said Seston-Dekic.
Staff and students get concessions of up to 50 per cent.
Hamilton’s Meteor service, which replaced the Silverdale and Frankton bus services in August, has been a huge success with an 80-84 per cent increase.
“Frequency is the solution, and we are seeing that.”
Discounts are also available for passengers with appointments at Waikato Hospital. While the Te Awamutu service goes direct to the hospital, Cambridge passengers have to transfer in Hamilton to the Orbiter at no extra cost.
Communication on that is something that needs another “mindset transition”, she said.
Meanwhile there is still no news on a proposal to set up an on-demand public transport network within Cambridge.
The regional council successfully trialled a service called Flex in Hamilton and was looking to duplicate it in Cambridge dependent on funding.
It gained further traction when Waikato medical professional Luk Chin added his support to it saying it would be needed when the Cambridge Health Hub he and other investors are involved in, opens next year in Norfolk Downs.
He envisaged mini electric buses following a route through town, something deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk said she supported.
The News understands it is one of the proposals contained in the long-awaited Cambridge Connections business case.
The Te Awamutu service operates from outside the i-Site building.
