Board to ‘sell’ bus services

Press, 10 April 1978, Page 4

Board to ‘sell’ bus services

Discussions should be held soon between representatives lof the Christchurch Transport Board and its advertising agency to see how the board could best “sell” its proposed pilot “cross-coun-try” Saturday services to New Brighton, the board’s marketing committee recom-i mended. The committee also advised that once these discussions had been held, the New Brighton Businessmen’s Association should be approached for its support. The proposed new services to New Brighton will run from Hoon Hay and from Bishopdale. The board has' recommended that three buses run on each route at about 45-minute intervals, and at a flat fare of 30c a i person, with a possible fam-i ily concession.

The general manager (Mr M. G. Taylor) said the proposed starting date for the services, June 24, should be given further consideration as this was “getting into winter.” It might be better to delay the start.

Mr Taylor said it. had been suggested that unless new bus patrons were attracted to the two services, the board might lose 60c to 65c fares from other bus 1 services which people previously had taken to New Brighton. He suspected this might be correct. One board member said the . services offered opportunity for new business. A relative of his was “thrilled” to think she could leave her car at a car-park in Bishopdale and then catch a bus to I New Brighton. I Mr M. O. Holdsworth, the

board’s chairman, said after the meeting that six drivers would be used for the new services, although rostering arrangments still had to be completed. The committee recommended that Mr Taylor, and the chairman of the marketing committee (Mr P. G. Sharpe) approach the board’s advertising agency.

After discussion on a report made last month by Mr Taylor, the committee recommended that a thorough examination and revision of the board’s services be implemented. Mr Taylor said the basis lof this could be to find people’s travel patterns, to change the board's services to fit these patterns as efficiently and closely as possible, and then to market its services.