Real impact of bus changes
Wellington’s new bus system has been particularly hard on Miramar resident Tania Konia.
Konia, 44, is partially sighted and had to cancel all of her doctor’s appointments at Wellington Hospital over the past two months because there is no longer a direct route to Newtown on the 18e bus route during offpeak hours.
‘‘I can’t get two buses because I can’t see the bus numbers,’’ Konia said.
She said it’s also been difficult to explain her situation to unfamiliar bus drivers.
Konia’s husband, Tawhiai Konia, gets to ride the bus for free as her carer, but they said bus drivers often are not familiar with the policy or do not believe her when she tells them she has a disability, despite having a cane and a Blind Foundation membership card.
‘‘Some of them get very snappy with me as well.
‘‘It’s making me feel I don’t really want to get on the buses very much.’’
Greater Wellington Regional Council has committed to adding extra services on route 18e between Miramar and Karori during off-peak periods.
Residents have been told the service will be reintroduced in November.
While the couple gathered with other Strathmore and Miramar residents to discuss solutions to the bus network at Miramar Community Centre yesterday, about 100 Kingston, Island Bay, Newtown and other southern suburb residents gathered at the Mornington Golf Club to air their grievances.
Rongotai MP Paul Eagle and regional councillor Daran Ponter chaired the meeting.
Six regional councillors, including chairman Chris Laidlaw listened uncomfortably as residents spoke of their experiences.
A Brooklyn resident at the meeting said she had lost ‘‘thousands of dollars’’ from being late to work and in an effort to get to work on time had once left her 9-year-old daughter at a bus stop waiting for a bus that never came.
Another resident mentioned people’s aversions to transfers was mentioned in consultation reports the council had paid for.
Laidlaw said this advice had been implemented by cutting the number of journeys that involved a transfer at a bus hub from 30 per cent to 5 per cent.
‘‘I don’t like the hub, I don’t think anyone particularly likes the hub. The fact is, I think we are stuck with some,’’ Laidlaw said.
Accessibility Advisory Group co-chair Nick Ruane also attended the Mornington meeting. He said it was surprising more resources had not been made available to help people with disabilities adjust to the changes.
Ponter said the council, along with Wellington City Council had recently decided to ‘‘reprioritise’’ the hospital bus stop to move it closer to the hospital’s steps.