Have your say on regional public transport

Waikato residents can have their say on public transport services, with the Waikato Regional Council this week adopting its draft 10-year public transport plan for consultation.

The council is responsible for planning, managing and providing public transport in the region, and will next week release the Draft Regional Public Transport Plan 2011-2021.

A four-page summary of the draft plan has also been included in the council’s quarterly publication, Your Waikato, due to be distributed to households from Tuesday next week.

The Waikato region has the fourth largest contracted public transport bus service in the country and it attracts almost five million passengers each year. Existing contracted public transport services are provided in and to Hamilton, satellite towns and rural areas.

The council is seeking feedback from the community on the development and delivery of public transport in the region, including:
whether bus services should be provided to the northern suburbs of Hamilton currently without public transport. To service these new areas will require reallocation of service resources from elsewhere in the network
whether the rating method for services in Hamilton should be reviewed.

Among other things, the plan provides information on the principles and priorities of the region’s public transport and describes the policies and actions for development of the network over the next 10 years.

The draft plan has been developed in consultation with local councils in the region, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and other stakeholders, including CCS Disability Action.

Copies of the draft plan will be available via the Waikato Regional Council’s website, www.waikatoregion.govt.nz or by calling 0800 800 401.

Submissions on the draft plan must be received by 4pm on Monday, 8 August 2011. Hearings have been scheduled to occur in August and the final Regional Public Transport Plan will be adopted by the council in a meeting in December 2011