Making use of our public transport

I had the occasion to take the Capital Connection for a half-day course.

It was good to be able to sit at a table and do some work while the train continued its 80-minute journey from Levin to Wellington. The reason for embarking at Levin was to take advantage of the early ride home.

Of course, the Levin to Waikanae service had started that day and I jumped at the opportunity to get home earlier.

On arriving at Waikanae, I saw the bus and was pleasantly surprised to count 30 people on the bus. Two of us would have been in the under-65 years of age category. How awesome to see the service being of use.

One trick for young players though is to ensure you get off at the right stop. I failed to tell the bus driver and ended up all the way at Te Takere in Levin and had to walk back to the Levin Railway Station to pick up my car.

I’ve taken the service a couple of times and was pleased with the numbers using the service. We need to ensure it is used and viable as for the next two years it is only a trial. Let’s make it permanent.

I’ve always believed that social connectivity is extremely beneficial to health and the opportunity for people to get out and about helps this. Those eligible for the SuperGold Card scheme can take the new Levin bus service to and from Waikanae for free. Did you also know that the SuperGold Card can also be used on the Day Out in Town service which runs on a Friday to the towns within Horowhenua? This is another opportunity to get out and about. Please use these services.

On Wednesday morning, I needed to get into Palmerston North by bus. I live on the main road between Himatangi junction and Opiki junction. It was a pity it was raining in the morning and after 10 minutes I was soaked while waiting for the bus. When it did aarive, I waved my arms and jumped up and down to get attention but alas, the bus drove straight past me. As a strong supporter of passenger services, I was very annoyed. We are all citizens who through our rates pay for these services. While I don’t use it every day, we need to find a way to be able to access public transport so that there is a benefit for all who wish to use it.