More people are using public transport in Canterbury, but there are not enough buses to keep up with growing demand.
More people are using public transport in Canterbury, but there are not enough buses to keep up with growing demand.
Environment Canterbury chairperson Peter Scott said bus use in the Greater Christchurch area grew significantly over the last year, placing services under pressure during peak times.
”We are going to need to make a lot of buses over the next 10 years to keep up with demand.”
The regional council last week voted to order five new electric buses so it could increase the frequency of a popular Christchurch route. Buses will run every 10 minutes on Route 7, between Queenspark and Halswell, when the new buses arrive in six to 12 months.
Bus patronage in Waimakariri, in the year to October, was up 21 percent on pre-Covid-19 levels (2018/19), while the Selwyn district saw a 25.27 percent increase, council’s public transport strategy and planning manager Sonia Pollard said.
