More new peak hour buses for Hamilton as petrol prices bite

As high petrol prices continue to bite, Environment Waikato is launching three new Direct bus services to help Hamilton people get to and from work during peak hours.

The Dinsdale, Pukete and Rototuna Direct services will start on 7 July, with free travel for the first week to give people a cost-free way of seeing if the new buses work for them.

Direct services travel from the suburbs to the city at morning peak times and have limited stops, making them ideal for commuters looking for a faster, cheaper and reliable alternative to cars. Return Dinsdale, Pukete and Rototuna Direct services will operate at peak times in the late afternoon.

Besides saving money and being convenient, using the new Direct services and other public transport is a great way to help decrease carbon dioxide emissions and reduce your ecological footprint.

· The Pukete Direct will penetrate industrial areas around Maui St and help cater for a growing number of Pukete residents.

· The Dinsdale Direct will appeal to those wanting to get to and from work by bus quickly, while giving transfer opportunities to the Orbiter, Frankton and Dinsdale services.

· The Rototuna Direct replaces the Chartwell Direct service and caters for the expanding St James Park and Somerset Heights areas in Rototuna.

Acting land transport operations manager Sue Callis said the new Direct services are expected to fuel the boom in bus use in Hamilton.

“These are fast and cheaper alternatives to travelling to work by car.

“We’ve had passenger trip numbers growth of more than 25 per cent in the year to May. The rise in petrol prices, other new routes and positive publicity about the buses are all driving passenger numbers to new records.

“We thank the public of Hamilton for their continued support and are confident the buses will keep making an increasingly significant contribution to the life of the city,” said Mrs Callis.

The stops for the new services are as follows:
Pukete Direct
Transport Centre, Bryce St, Victoria St, Ulster St, Te Rapa Rd, Vardon Rd, Taylor Tce, Braid Rd, Sandwich Rd, Totara, Challinor St, Pukete Rd, Moreland Ave, Church Rd, Maui St.
Dinsdale Direct
Transport Centre, Bryce St, Seddon Rd, Marama St, Lake Rd, Queens Ave, Killarney Rd, Dinsdale Rd, Newcastle Rd, Ellicott Rd, Hyde Ave, Grandview Rd, Batholomew Dr, Dominion Rd.
Rototuna Direct (replacing the Chartwell Direct)
Transport Centre, Victoria St, Heaphy Tce, Bankwood Rd, Hukanui Rd, Thomas Rd.

Full details of the new buses are available by:
· calling 0800 4 BUSLINE
· going online at www.busit.co.nz
· visiting the transport centre on the corner of Bryce and Anglesea Sts.