MEDIA RELEASE

Monday 6 August, 2012

Record year for Palmerston North buses

Catching the bus is catching on in Palmerston North with over 1.25 million trips made on Horizons Regional Council services during the past financial year.

This number is the highest yet and the trend looks set to continue with July numbers up 11 percent on last year across all urban, Massey and UCOL routes.

Horizons transport planner Kelly Lowe is delighted with the uptake and pleased to see so many people realising the value of public transport.

“People are really starting to see the benefits of bus use. Both Massey and UCOL provide funding which allows students to travel for free. This makes the bus a popular option amongst students but we’re also seeing growth in general passenger numbers,” Ms Lowe says.
“Although we can’t pinpoint exactly why this growth is occurring, rising petrol, car maintenance and parking costs are all compelling reasons to go by bus. The reduced environmental impact of shared transport is also likely to have an impact on passenger choices.

“We’re continually working to ensure our services meet the needs of our passengers and it was fantastic to see so many bus users sharing their views in submissions to the Long-term Plan. We look forward to seeing more and more people aboard the bus.”

More information about bus routes and timetables can be found on Horizons Regional Council’s website www.horizons.govt.nz/getting-people-places Timetables are also available from Horizons Regional Council offices, the iSite in the Square or on board any Horizons bus.

Ends

© Scoop Media