Bus service relocation moves one step closer

Taupō District Council has agreed to fund the construction of a new bus shelter for Tongariro Street in Taupō, provided a major bus company chooses to relocate there. The decision was made at the Council meeting in Mangakino on Tuesday 27 November.

Council Business Development Manager, Will Samuel, says: “We have been working with Intercity to select an alternative site to Gascoigne Street for its buses to stop in Taupō. Outside the i-Site on Tongariro Street has been identified as the preferred location. This site is already used by NakedBus and would provide a single centralised site for the two national bus service providers.”

The new wet weather shelter will only be constructed if Intercity decides to relocate to the Tongariro Street site.  Funding of $100,000 has been set aside for the design, consenting and construction of the shelter to accommodate passengers.

If Intercity chooses to relocate to the Tongariro Street site, its passengers will be able to take advantage of existing services in the area including the library, playground and superloo. If the site is used, bus stops for two additional buses will be required at the site at about 4.00pm for up to 15 minutes. For the rest of the day these spaces are likely to be available for other vehicles for short-term parking.

Information from Council’s MeterEye carparking technology indicates there is ample carparking available on Story Place and the north-bound side of Tongariro Street for drop off and collection of passengers, with a maximum occupancy of 60 per cent at peak times.

The sale of the Gascoigne Street site will contribute toward Council’s property sales target over the next three years. The sale will allow for the creation of eight additional on-street car parks in the central business district with the closure of two exits from the Gascoigne Street site, which is likely to be sold around March/April next year.