More people are catching the bus than ever before in Nelson, with bus use soaring above pre-Covid levels.
In March 49,211 people journeyed on a bus in Nelson, a 20% increase above March 2019 figures.
Nelson City Council group manager infrastructure Alec Louverdis said numbers took a dip during the thick of the pandemic, dropping again when mask use was made compulsory on public transport.
“But coming out the other side of it, we’ve seen consistent increases in people using public transport.”
The rise was probably tied to the rising cost of living, and was timely given the changes coming to the bus service, Louverdis said.
The new network launching on August 1 will have new routes and more regular journeys. Currently, 35,200 people live within a 10-minute walk of a bus stop. From August, with the service extending
