Nelson and Tasman to get major public transport revamp from August

From August 2023, Nelson and Tasman will have a new public transport service that includes a fleet of 17 electric buses. Photo: Supplied by Nelson City Council

In a few months, Nelson and Tasman will have a new public transport service - with more destinations, more regular buses and lower fares - serviced by a fleet of 17 electric buses.

From August, people will see $2 fares and a half-hourly timetable on all urban routes around Nelson and Richmond, more rural express routes and an airport bus service.

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the last census data showed people in the region were not big public transport users, though that was changing.

"We know that the Nelson Tasman region has one of the lowest levels of public transport usage in the country, with only 1 percent of journeys being made by bus.

"We're quite encouraged by the fact that actually we've improved more than any other region over the last couple of years post Covid."

He said there was strong support across the region for the new service, the lack of which had been a deficiency in Nelson's overall transport mix.

"My hope with the new bus service, is that it will provide options for people that are under financial pressure to be able to use the buses as a more economical alternative."

The Nelson eBus route. Photo: Supplied by Nelson City Council

But not everyone was happy - more 2000 people signed a petition started by The Veggie Guy owner Karl Hadfield against the location of the proposed bus interchange on Main Road Stoke.

Business owners along the stretch of road were worried about the loss of their storefront carparks.

"The concerns are really just around the lack of consultation, the design work in terms of a new interchange and also the loss of car parking for low mobility and older residents."

Most people were not against the new bus service - they just wanted to see it serve the region well, Hadfield said.

The community had proposed two different locations for the interchange and they would be presented to council at a hearing this week.

Hadfield said he was hoping council would listen to the feedback.

"We're hoping that council is going to listen to the people who have supported us in terms of signing our petition and saying actually it isn't good enough being out the front there, the conversation should have been had earlier."

The new service will also connect parts of the region, including Motueka, Māpua, Wakefield and Brightwater.

The Nelson Tasman Community Transport Trust began five years ago to fill the gaps in places where there was no public transport.

For the last few years, volunteer drivers have run bus services from Motueka and Wakefield into Richmond.

In Māpua, it also runs a Willing Wheels service, where people's requests for transport are matched with police-vetted volunteer drivers.

Chairperson Elena Meredith said the trust was in total support of the the new electric bus service and hoped it would be well used.

"What we will be doing as a trust is minding the gaps, we will be looking for the places where those buses don't run, not just in Māpua but in the Tasman district, we're already having conversations with people in Tapawera and in areas outside Nelson."

A Māpua resident herself, Meredith said those in the area were not used to the idea of public transport but she hoped people would get onboard with the new service.

"I hope to see absolutely crammed full buses, four times a day, stopping through Māpua and our Willing Wheels drivers bringing people that want to go on the buses, backwards and forwards to those bus services."

It will also be the first time Nelson has had an airport bus.

Nelson Airport chief executive Mark Thompson said it offered people choice, convenience, and a sustainable mode of transport.

"People are very pleased that they've got that option, you know, transport is challenging everywhere and for most people, you know whether they have a car or not, or they want to park here overnight, the ebuses just give them the opportunity to come to the airport without all those mitigating factors."

Council is accepting submissions about the proposed new bus stop locations until Thursday, ahead of Friday's hearing.