Matangi, Tauwhare and Tamahere residents can now connect to the Hamilton city bus network through two trial services starting this month.
The 14-seater sprinter buses will connect with the Hillcrest, Waikato University and Hamilton Gardens routes as well as the Meteor and Orbiter services from February 12.
Waikato District Council is funding the service as a trial for two or three years. This gives time to collect feedback and assess passenger uptake.
The Tauwhare Pā (27) service will make six return trips each day via Tauwhare Pā from Kahui Avenue, along Hoeka Road and SH26 to Ruakura Road.
And the Matangi/Tamahere (28) service will make seven return trips from Tamahere Eventide via Newell, Tauwhare, Matangi and Morrinsville roads.
David Stephens tests out the Sprinter bus at Tamahere Eventide. Photo: Supplied.
Both services terminate at the university transport hub, in Gate 1 on Knighton Road, which has shops, amenities and several urban bus connections.
Eugene Patterson, Waikato District Council’s Infrastructure committee chair and representative on the Future Proof Public Transport subcommittee, says that communities in this area have consistently asked for a bus service connection to Hamilton.
“We are extremely pleased to set up this trial on the understanding that, should we have good patronage uptake, we will seek co-funding from the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to make these services more permanent in the future.”
Waikato regional councillor and Future Proof Public Transport Subcommittee deputy chair Angela Strange says the sprinter buses enable more frequency on these routes, which is proving popular across the network.
“Frequency keeps coming up as people’s main request of our public transport services and we believe six and seven trips a day will work well here.”
Bee Card ticketing will be available on board and SuperGold concessions can be loaded to them.
View from the bus at Tamahere looking towards Hamilton.
