Special bus services on Saturday (1 December) will allow families to get to New Plymouth’s Christmas parade minus traffic and parking hassles.

Citylink buses will operate on 10 routes, with gold-coin fares accepted. Go to www.taranakibus.info(external link) for timetable details and route maps.

“The services cover all New Plymouth suburbs, plus Bell Block, Waitara, Oākura and Omata,” says Chris Clarke, Transport Services Manager for the Taranaki Regional Council which provides Citylink services through its contractor Tranzit Coachlines.

“There’ll be at least two services into town in the morning, and two back home in the afternoon.”

He says that with roads having to be closed in the run-up to the parade, the Saturday services could prove to be a godsend for parents. “Why put yourself through the ordeal of negotiating busy streets and finding a park, when you could be driven to and from the parade?”

Saturday services with altered timetables will be operated on Citylink routes on subsequent Saturdays in the lead-up to Christmas.

There will also be special Hāwera-New Plymouth Connector bus services on the four Saturdays leading up to Christmas.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer these services in the run-up to Christmas, as part of the Council’s focus on improving lifestyles in Taranaki,” says Chris. “If these services are well supported, we will be able to offer them in future years. It’s a case of use it or lose it.”

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