1 October 2004

Transfund supports free bus service for Massey University

A Transfund New Zealand decision to increase passenger transport funding for Manawatu-Wanganui has enabled a Horizons Regional Council proposal for a free bus service between Palmerston North city and Massey University to go ahead.

This funding increase means the council can go ahead with its proposed unlimited access bus service, with increased frequency of services to and from the university. The number of daily services will increase from 98 to 135, with an additional 37 peak-time services.

There are also plans to relocate the Massey University bus terminal to the centre of the campus for greater ease of access.

The proposal is based closely on a similar successful scheme run by Horizons Regional Council for students and staff of UCOL, the Palmerston North polytechnic. Board chair Dr Jan Wright says Transfund supported the proposal because the free, increased frequency bus services would provide significant encouragement for people to use public transport.

"Potentially, this service could lead to significantly lower numbers of traffic crossing Fitzherbert Bridge, resulting in reduced congestion, energy savings, and lower vehicle emissions," she says.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>