Bus still the best option for getting to the game

Canterbury rugby fans will once again have the chance to take a free bus to the new AMI Stadium, this time to watch the clash between the Crusaders and the Stormers on 14 April.

Environment Canterbury Passenger Services Manager David Stenhouse says the free bus system generally worked well for the first game and most rugby goers appreciated the chance to park and ride.

“The majority of the feedback from the first game was that passengers, especially the large number of families who attended the game, enjoyed the hassle-free way they could avoid parking issues and get there with relative ease, says Mr Stenhouse.

“We did have a few teething problems, but this was because we had no clear idea of how many people would use the park and ride system, or which would be the most popular stops. Now, we have had the chance to analyse passenger numbers and understand where the bottlenecks could be, and we have more certainty about which are the popular stops. We expect things to go smoothly this time, especially as we have added further buses and made some adjustments to the park and ride hubs.

“We can assure the public there will be plenty of buses to get everyone to the game. We have a total of 39 chartered buses for the park and ride trips from the suburban hubs, as well as our normal network services, so everyone will be catered for.

“However, as with the last game, we are encouraging rugby goers to leave themselves plenty of time to get to the game and to check timetables if they are travelling by our normal network service.’’

The plan to offer free buses for ticket holders is jointly funded by Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City Council, VBase and the Stadium Trust.  By showing their ticket to the game, passengers will have free access to any Metro bus service between 5pm and 11pm on the day.

Park n Ride facilities will be available at Northwood Supa Centa, Merivale Mall, Eastgate, Hornby Hub  and the Palms. People can find details and departure times for the additional services from Northwood Supa Centa and Merivale Mall which go to the game, and for the service from Beresford Street in New Brighton which goes via Pages Road and the Eastgate Shopping Centre to the game.

Timetables and all details are on www.metroinfo.co.nz or you can phone Metroinfo on 366 8855.