More Bus Shelters On The Blenheim Bus Route

The Council is planning to build six more bus shelters on the Blenheim Bus route – two each year.

The Council’s Older Persons’ Forum has lobbied the Council to build all six bus shelters within the next financial year.

The Council has budgeted for the work over three years and, with little likelihood of an NZTA subsidy for new shelters in the near future, the Council has agreed to look at advertising and sponsorship to help meet the cost of building them more quickly than planned. Each shelter costs about $6000. Council’s Assets and Services Committee will take another look at the matter soon.

Passenger numbers on the Blenheim Bus are growing slowly but overall patronage means the bus service is still only about 30% full. That’s somewhere between 23,000 and 24,000 passenger trips each year. Three-quarters of the passengers are from the Redwoodtown-Witherlea side of town and the first of the new bus shelters are expected to be located on that route.

Remember the Blenheim Bus now operates on Saturday morning 9.00 am-1.00 pm.

Timetables are available at the Council or library and at www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/parking-roads-and-transport/Blenheim-Bus-Service.