Bus service to Kaiteriteri proposed

December 15th, 2015
[by David Armstrong]

A Motueka woman is working on a proposal to operate a regular bus service between Motueka and Kaiteriteri over the summer school holidays.

Vicki Cowling, who played a central role in the Motueka 2030 community consultation in May this year, is passionate about the idea of using one or more vehicles of the Motueka School Bus service, and their drivers, during the school holiday to run the route.

She sees a large number of benefits and few downsides in the plan, and notes that in Motueka 2030 a high priority among Motueka residents was for public transport in Motueka, including a route to Kaiteriteri.

"Hebberds Bus Company operates the school bus service through the year, so they will have buses and drivers available during the school holiday break, and this provides a great opportunity to trial the service," Vicki says.

Her proposed route would include a circuit around Motueka to include the central business district, the Recreation Centre, the salt water baths/port area, Toad Hall, the airport and Te Awhina Marae.

"This would mean that visitors using the service will see parts of Motueka that they would normally not see, thereby raising awareness of what Motueka has to offer for tourists."

Vicki says the service must be affordable to users but also make enough money so that any subsidy required is small. She estimates the cost of running the service to be $2.75 per kilometre which includes drivers wages.

Based on this, she suspects that a good proportion of the required income can be raised by charging $4.00 - $5.00 each way from Motueka to Kaiteriteri, and $2.00 - $3.00 for trips within Motueka. If a cycle trailer was attached to the bus, there could be an additional charge of $2.00 per bike cartage.

As Kaiteriteri gets busier each year during the holiday season, and particularly over Christmas and New Year, parking is becoming a huge problem at the beach, as well as traffic on the inadequate Riwaka-Kaiteriteri road. The bus service could alleviate much of this by allowing people to park in Motueka and bus the final 18km.

With stops along the way in Riwaka as well, the bus service would increase the number of visitors to businesses along the route, Vicki expects.

"Visitors to our area are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and would expect us to have a public transport system," she says.

The service would also provide independence to the elderly, young people and non-drivers. Kaiteriteri campers may send their children into the movies on rainy days.

"And if available in the early evening, the service would provide increased dining options for people at Kaiteriteri to come into Motueka for a meal and drink and not have to drink-drive back afterwards."

The only downside that Vicki sees is that some sort of subsidy would probably be needed. She would hope that perhaps one or more businesses, or Our Town Motueka, or TDC or the Community Board, may see the huge potential benefits as being worth some sort of subsidisation, and perhaps naming rights.

"It's unknown how busy it would be, but it's only a short period of time and something which Motueka should try to capitalise on while most visitors are here."

The Motueka Community Board has had several discussions at meetings over the past four months or so about how public transport could be introduced in the town. Perhaps this could provide a simple starting point.

Comment by Grant Nelson (via Facebook):
[Posted 15 December 2015]

MOTOR-eka Ltd are trying to buy a Bus so we can introduce a FREE bus service for our district. We will have the bus sponsored by various businesses via sign writing and brochures on and in the Bus.

>> , to be added to the page. [If this link doesn't work, use this form instead]

[ Return ]
[ Other news articles ]

We wish to thank these local community-minded businesses who generously sponsor our site. They recognise the value of supporting this community asset, and in return Motueka Online is pleased to use and recommend their services whenever appropriate.

Ray White Motueka, Nelson Building Society, House of Travel,
, Steph Wills Dental Surgery, Unichem Pharmacy