‘Core routes’ identified

Press, 13 April 1988, Page 9

‘Core routes’ identified

The public response to the free Sunday bus cam- : paign run by the Christchurch Transport Board lin February highlighted again the reality that patronage was high on j only a (handful of core ; routes, said a member of the board’s consumer services committee, Mr lan Rivers. Mr Rivers said demand was highest on eight to 10 routes, and the board had to accept that to get costs down, trimming underused Sunday services would be necessary.

Even on the free Sunday, some popular routes such as to the airport and New Brighton attracted more than twice as many passengers as on other routes. | The committee’s chairwoman, Mrs H. M. Bonish, agreed that if no increase in patronage was evident after six months, the board (would (need to look closely at some routes. ( c :

However, there was no point in reductions when the board had just run the free Sunday campaign to promote use, she said. The free Sunday campaign was seen by the committee as a success. Passengers carried rose from the 'usual 2500 to 3000 to 14,720 on the day of the promotion. The board’s deputy general manager, Mr Tony Francis, said the campaign had produced the “excellent result” of the board's voting to restore off-peak fares in the evenings and at week-ends, which should promote increased use. The committee indicated that the free day might be* repeated, and board staff have been asked to look into ways of combining any future campaigns with Christchurch City Council promotions of Queen Elizabeth II Park and other facilities to get the most benefit.