Bus interest sought

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 4

Bus interest sought

Christchurch transport operators wanting to run an airport-to-city shuttle service will be asked to register their interest with the Canterbury United Council. The council’s regional transport committee decided yesterday this was' the fairest way to decide on whether such a service should attract a transport subsidy. If the commercial services proposed do not meet the council’s criteria for frequency, fares or quality, the service is to be put to tender to establish the subsidy required. The Christchurch

Transport Board, which already runs a subsidised airport service, will be asked to delete its service between the University of Canterbury and the airport to ensure “a level playing field approach.” The target date for the new airport shuttle is set for November 1, on the introduction of transport law reform legislation. The transport committee chairman, Cr Oscar Alpers, said he was encouraged by the commercial interest shown in airport services. “It would seem that there may not be a need

for a subsidy for services to the airport,” he said. The council transportation manager, Mr Brian Hasell, said the plan to assess whether a subsidy was needed was an ideal “dry run” before full tendering was required under deregulation from 1991. With the council having already had a request for support from one of the five operators now providing airport services, the tendering system was a fairer way to assess subsidy levels. The recommendations were approved unanimously.