Hutt bus routes set to stay

The Airport Flyer bus service looks set to continue operating to the Hutt Valley, after NZ Bus did an apparent U-turn on plans to cancel it.

Greater Wellington regional councillor Daran Ponter confirmed that NZ Bus had promised council officers it would continue the services at a community meeting in Lower Hutt on Thursday night.

The Airport Flyer and three other Hutt Valley commuter services were signalled for closure, and will now be reevaluated in six months time.

The announcement, made at the Petone Rugby Club, was lauded by the meeting’s organisers, Hutt city councillor Campbell Barry and Labour MP Ginny Andersen.

‘‘The public response demonstrated to [NZ Bus] how much the services mean to the Hutt,’’ Barry said.

Some 18,000 people signed a petition, online and on paper, to keep the services. Barry said the signatories would have to make an effort to ride the bus.

‘‘This has been a bit of a wake-up call, that all these services could go … we can always be better in using these services we’ve got.’’

He hoped NZ Bus would communicate better with the community in the future.

‘‘They’re under a lot of pressure, but this is a positive step.’’

Andersen said, when it came to transport contracts, it was hard to say ‘‘hand on heart’’ the bus services were saved for good. ‘‘You’ve got to take this as a win.’’ NZ Bus signalled in February the privately run commercial service, which runs between Lower Hutt’s Queensgate Mall and Wellington Airport, would get the chop from July, instead running between the airport and Wellington Railway Station.

The service is the only direct bus link between Wellington Airport and the Hutt.

NZ Bus also signalled three other services operating between Wellington and the Hutt Valley would be cancelled at the same time, when the company will lose the majority of its Wellington contracts.

The Wainuiomata, Stokes Valley and Upper Hutt commuter buses, as well as the Airport Flyer, are run separately to the Greater Wellington Regional Council network.

General manager of operations Claire Neville said at the time the proposal was a commercial decision.