Commuters to help review bus system
More than eight months after Wellington’s new bus network was introduced, commuters will get their say on how transport planners can fix it.
The new network was rolled out across the city in July, and has been troubled by a range of problems since.
Yesterday, Greater Wellington Regional Council, which runs the region’s public transport network, said public consultation would form the basis of a review into the revamped bus system’s design and timetables.
It comes after a separate review by an independent consultancy firm late last year into the rollout of the network found the team responsible for it was not equipped for the job.
Sustainable transport committee chairwoman Barbara Donaldson said the public consultation showed a ‘‘genuine commitment to Wellington’s communities’’.
‘‘We are focused on providing people with the opportunity to engage in a meaningful way and designing a consultation process that gives the community a range of options to work through and prioritise.
‘‘It’s important for us to hear from the actual communities we serve, understand their needs, [find out] what’s working for them and what isn’t, so we can develop improvements unique to each of our suburbs as well as the whole of the network.’’
Feedback and complaints already received would form part of the review which would focus on the eastern suburbs to begin with, before including the rest of the city.
Once feedback had been gathered, there would be a series of community workshops before changes were proposed. There would then be further public consultation. It was not clear how long the whole process would take.
The review would also assess contracts with bus operators, including incentives and fines for cancelling buses; fare policies; the make-up and ownership of buses; bus stops and shelters; and technology systems such as real-time information screens.
However, there could be ‘‘no wholesale return to the old network’’.
Decisions will be made by the council’s sustainable transport committee.