Timetable changes to Rotorua’s Cityride bus network

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Changes to Rotorua’s Cityride bus timetables take place on Monday, 11 August – and are designed to help ease congestion in the city centre and make it easier for bus users to get around the city.

From Monday most of the Cityride buses will leave either five or 10 minutes earlier or later than before and all will be fully-accessible, making it easier for passengers in wheelchairs, with prams or those who are not quite so mobile to get on an off.

Lyall Thurston, Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor and Chairman of the Public Transport Subcommittee said that most buses were currently scheduled to leave the city centre on the hour or half hour, but with the entire Cityride bus fleet now using the larger fully accessible buses, bus stop space was going to be tight at the Pukuatua Street terminus without the timetable changes.

“By slightly staggering the times the buses leave it should make it easier for people to find and get on the correct bus, and also easier for people who are looking to transfer from one service to another as there will be more time between departures,” Mr Thurston said. “This should especially help students who are travelling into the city centre before travelling on to the Waiariki Institute of Technology’s Mokoia Campus.

Mr Thurston said he was especially pleased that the changes meant all buses in the Cityride fleet would now be fully accessible.

“As former National President of CCS Disability Action, we have been advocating for greater access to public transport for years,” he said.

“I’m personally delighted and express the approval and delight of the disability sector in Rotorua that the Cityride buses are now fully accessible.

“This is a great day for disabled people and people who have access issues in the city.”

To find out if the time their regular bus leaves will change, people should look out for the updated timetables on the buses from next week, or they can visit www.baybus.co.nz or call 0800 4BAYBUS (0800 4 229 28) to see what the changes mean for them.

“We also expect that with the improved timetable the buses should run on time more often, which we’ll continue to be keeping an eye on through our regular monitoring of the service.”

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