Community transport proposal to cope with rising fuel prices
For those who can no longer drive or find it hard to cope with rising fuel prices to travel around town, a community transport service may be the answer.
Some socially-active residents, along with Neighbourhood Support Manawatu¯ , have proposed running a van to ferry people to and from Feilding during the week.
The van, with capacity to also transport shopping and mobility aid, would be available on weekdays to carry about 22 people. It could be booked online or via phone call, and would pick passengers directly from their doorsteps.
Neighbourhood Support Manawatu¯ manager Aly Thompson said there is need of a service that picks people from their homes because they live so remotely in the region.
‘‘Such service is important as people living in far-off areas would have easy access to public transport and would not feel isolated.’’
Thompson launched a survey last year to assess demand.
‘‘For all these years, residents who can’t drive or don’t want to drive have been asking their neighbours to take them around for groceries and medical appointments. There is no public transport here at all,’’ said A¯ piti resident June Barratt.
For many, community transport is the best option. Vaune Mason, who lives as far as Oroua Valley Rd near A¯ piti, said skyrocketing rents have driven people away from central locations and forced them to live in remote places.
‘‘I know so many people in the community with low income. They live here because they can’t afford to rent houses in towns. With rising fuel costs, it is so expensive to travel to towns.’’
Barratt said if they did it together, it would cut costs and emissions.
According to the estimates made by the trust, the service could be established for less than $160,000, with an annual operating cost about $150,000 excluding revenue from ticket sales.
For more than three years, the need for a rural community transport service in Manawatu¯ has been discussed by various groups. In June 2021, a steering committee was established to explore a rural community transport service, following earlier research by A¯ piti residents in 2019 and 2020.
The trust has made a submission to the Horizons Regional Council’s draft regional public transport plan 2022-32. The submissions will close on May 12.
‘‘I know so many people in the community with low income. They live here because they can’t afford to rent houses in towns. With rising fuel costs, it is so expensive to travel to towns.’’
Vaune Mason