City buses continue despite restrictions
The Invercargill City Council will at this stage continue its public bus service, despite New Zealanders being asked to restrict nonessential travel.
Council chief executive Clare Hadley spoke briefly to councillors yesterday about various services at an infrastructure and services committee meeting.
An extraordinary meeting with all councillors will be held today to further discuss the council’s response to the coronavirus situation.
Included in Hadley’s briefing yesterday was confirmation
Invercargill’s bus service would continue to operate at the moment.
Hadley said it would be the Ministry of Transport’s call and at this point it was deemed an essential service.
‘‘At this stage moving people around does remain a great priority, whether we continue it or not is guarded by the Ministry of Transport,’’ Hadley said.
‘‘We have a community that doesn’t make a lot of use [of public transport], but for those that use it, it is critical for them.’’
Hadley acknowledged there was some conflict around whether keeping public transport operating was the right decision, given many of the drivers were older and also hygiene concerns around handling cash.
Invercargill City Council roading manager Russell Pearson expected to get more advice from the Ministry of Transport today, or tomorrow at the latest.
‘‘It may well be that our passenger use is so low that we may get an exemption, but it is trying to have a national consistent approach as to how we manage all aspects of transport,’’ Pearson said.