Styx Mill and Willowbank on Metro route from Monday

People living near Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and Styx Mill Country Club will soon be able to swap their cars for the popular Metro bus service.

Environment Canterbury says that the Number 11 Styx Mill / Westmoreland route will begin its new extended route on Monday, March 31. The service has been the subject of extensive consultation with residents in the area, many of whom petitioned ECan for the change, over the last year.

The new extended service will be renamed as the Supa Centa via Styx Mill / Westmorland. It will extend its route on the northern section to go past Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Styx Mill Country Club, Northwood and terminate at the Supa Centa on Radcliffe Rd. The frequency of the extended service will be every 30 minutes weekdays and hourly on weekends.

ECan public passenger services committee chairwoman Cr Carole Evans said it was good to see the Styx Mill extended service beginning after much productive discussion with residents over the past year. “Metro has to meet demand in a time of rising petrol costs which impact upon many families, young people and retired people. We had a ten per cent rise in Metro usage in January 2008 over January 2007 which represents literally thousands of private motor cars off the roads as more people make use of the buses.”

Separate to this change, the Number 12 Northwood continues the same service and the same frequency, but there have been slight adjustments made to the departure and arrival times at the Northwood terminus.

For more information: ECan Public Passenger Transport Committee Chairwoman Cr Carole Evans, 03 387 0847 or 027 240 3096 or ECan Manager Passenger Services Wayne Holton- Jeffreys on 372 7202 or 027 432 6250.