Kaiapoi bus service survey

Press, 12 September 1984, Page 12

Kaiapoi bus service survey

A survey of Kaiapoi residents has showed some want a scheduled bus service on a user-pays basis. Questionnaires on the use of the bus service were sent to 1748 households and businesses by the Kaiapoi Borough Council. The council had already decided to object to being included in the urban transSirt area as proposed by e Canterbury United Council, but wanted the views of residents.

Only 244 questionnaires were returned and not all of the questions were answered on some forms. The Mayor of Kaiapoi, Mr Howard Cumberland, told the council on Monday that while he was disappointed with the low return, it was a level that could be expected in such a exercise. Of those that replied to the questionnaire, 179 said they wanted a scheduled bus service and 57 did not. When asked if a bus service

should be subsidised by rates, 187 people said no. The same number of people said bus fares should cover running costs. ■ About half the people used the present Christchurch Transport Board bus service and 126 people thought the service was too frequent. The Town Clerk, Mr Rob McCabe, said about 50 people had asked for a public meeting on tne issue. The United Council asked the Borough Council to nominate a representative for a “north of the Waimakariri” advisory committee to the Urban Transpoart Committee. The Borough Council had supported the Rangiora District Council in asking that the committee be set up. Councillors felt on Monday they should wait until their objection to being included in the urban transport area hs been heard by

the Local Government Commission before agreeing to join the advisory committee. Mr Cumberland said the council would be admitting that it was not going to win its objection if it joined the committee now. “We would be partially accepting the fact that our objection had been defeated before it had even started,” he said. Mr McCabe said the council’s objection would probably be heard late in October. He suggested the council should seek more information on the proposed advisory committee before it agreed to be represented on it. No terms of reference or powers and authorities for the commitee had yet been laid down by the United Conucil, he said. Councillors

agreed to follow Mr McCabe’s suggestion.

Transformer A $19,000 transformer has been bought by the council to supply electricity to Patience and Nicholson New Zealand, Ltd. The company- which makes drills and hacksaw blades, recently changed from diesel to electricity to heat its buildings. The council’s electricity department had difficulties in supplying the large amount of extra electricity the company then required. The chairman of the electricity committee cr Bert Empson, said the transformer was being offered at a reasonable cost and was available immediately. The transformer would also release other transformers to be used elsewhere in the borough.