More take the city’s buses

Half-price bus fares as part of the government’s cost of living support are contributing to an increase in patronage on regional bus services from Cambridge and Te Awamutu to Hamilton.

Those numbers are expected to rise further with the launch of services from Te Kuiti and Tokoroa which stop in both towns.

Figures released to Waipā District Council’s Service Delivery committee show people using public transport is well ahead of last year – when Covid restrictions were in place – and now ahead of pre-Covid levels.

sites is making the whole clean-up more difficult and slower so please folks, keep your distance.”

As with the response to the flooding in Auckland earlier this month, Waipā residents have been offering help to those who suffered much more from the cyclone.

Te Miro farmer Paul Manion is organising an event on Saturday to raise funds.

He is joining forces with other farmers in the area to run what they are calling The Great Te Miro Chop from around 8am. One of their number has a supply of leftover logs after having his timber milled, and it is these logs that will be available to be split into firewood for sale.

The generosity of local communities is being welcomed by Civil Emergency and Red Cross teams who are collaborating nationwide to support the relief effort, but they are urging donors to familiarise themselves with what is needed.

Wayne Allan, Western Waikato local civil defence controller, said making monetary donations were the single, most helpful things people can do.

“Donations of money enable support organisations to provide exactly what is needed to those most affected. The donation of physical goods, while extremely generous and well-intentioned, is just not the most effective way to help at this minute. Often those donations don’t match exactly what communities need, resulting in an oversupply and lack of capacity to manage this.,” he said. “This is the feedback we are getting overwhelmingly from those on the ground.”

Transportation manager Bryan Hudson said design and planning was also well advanced for electric bus charging stations in Cambridge and Kihikihi. Diesel powered buses currently run on the regional services.

The once-a-day Tokoroa and Te Kuiti services are on trial for 18 months subject to patronage. The Te Kuiti Connector leaves the town at 6.50am, arrives in Kihikihi at 7.30am, Te Awamutu at 7.37am and Ōhaupō at 7.49am. The service finishes at Wintec Rotokauri at 8.23am where it leaves at 5.15pm, arriving in Te Kuiti at 6.47pm.

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