Public transport in Hamilton and Waikato

Hamilton Transport Centre from Anglesea St

Public transport is poorly developed in the Waikato Region, with only 0.9% of trips made by bus in 2013/14. This compares with 2.3% nationally,[1] which itself is amongst the lowest proportions in the world.[2]

AARD Hudson buses at Frankton Junction early 1920s loaded with mailbags.

Hamilton has 26 bus routes covering most of its urban area.[3] Buses also serve Cambridge, Coromandel, Huntly, Mangakino, Morrinsville, Ngaruawahia, Paeroa, Pukekohe, Raglan, Taupo, Thames,Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Te Kauwhata, Tirau, Putaruru and Tokoroa.[4] A summer shuttle runs between Hahei and Cathedral Cove.[5]

The radial routes and most rural services are contracted to GoBus (successor to Buses Ltd - see Hamilton routes below). Pavlovich operate the most frequent services, the Orbiter (serving the edge of the CBD and the main suburban destinations, such as the Hospital, The Base, Chartwell and Waikato University) and the CBD Shuttle.[6]

InterCity and Naked Bus operate long distance services and some regional connections.

The only remaining passenger train is the Northern Explorer.

Ferries remain at Whitianga[7] and linking Auckland and Coromandel.[8]

Shuttle buses provide the only public transport to a number of places, including Hamilton Airport and Whangamata.

History

Public transport in Waikato started with ships and boats serving rivers, coastal beaches and ports. Those on the Waikato and Waipa were gradually displaced by the extending North Island Main Trunk railway and its branches. As roads developed, coaches started to link railway stations with other settlements. From about 1915 service cars replaced coaches. By 1924 the service car network[9] was more extensive than the current services.[10] In 1929 the Northern Steamship Co ended its passenger services,[11] which had served ports such as Coromandel, Kawhia, Port Waikato, Raglan, Tairua, Thames and Whangamata.[12]

Routes

This list is far from complete. Please add to it.

Hamilton City routes

Route Start Finish Route No. Notes
Hamilton city 1-18, 26, 29, 51 There are currently 26 routes serving Hamilton urban area.[13] Most operate to a half-hourly frequency, the exceptions being the Orbiter[14] and the free CBD Shuttle.[15] Apart from the Saturday night services, no buses run after 9.40pm.

An advert in 1 June 1937 Railways Magazine showed 10 buses in the Buses Ltd (Blue Buses) fleet and said they met all trains at Frankton Junction. Buses Ltd had cut its fares in 1928 to achieve a virtual monopoly by driving Green Bus Co. out of business.[16] No buses now serve the railway station, which has only 6 trains a week.[17]

Frankton 1913 Frankton Hamilton Bus Co - A H Hyde allowed to put notices on poles in Frankton[18]
Hamilton-Temple View 26 After a joint Temple View Community Board / Environment Waikato meeting, the bus route closed on Wed 24 December 1997 "due to low passenger numbers".[19] Temple View became part of Hamilton in 2004, adding 430 hectares and 1,400 people.[20] Route 26 was then extended from Dinsdale. It now runs half hourly weekdays and hourly on Saturdays, taking 23 minutes for the 8 km between the Transport Centre and Cowley Dr, Temple View.[21]

SH1 routes to Cambridge and south east - current route 20

Route Start Finish Route No. Notes
Hamilton-Cambridge 20 Buses daily, except Christmas Day[22]
Hamilton-Taupo 1924 via Cambridge, Hora Hora, Atiamuri, Wairakei run by Noel Douglas Robertson until 1928 "owing to competition of the Hawkes Bay and Aard Services"[23][24]
Tokoroa-Tirau 2015 The Tokoroa Urban Connector began running on 22 June 2015, serving Tokoroa, Putaruru and Tirau[25]
Taupo A bus operated by Waipawa Buses[26] serves most of Taupo's suburbs. It is the only Waikato bus with a bike rack.[27]
Auckland-Napier AARD took 13 hours for a route via Hamilton, Rotorua and Taupo by 1938.[28]

SH1 routes to Huntly and north west - current routes 21 and 44

Route Start Finish Route No. Notes
Hamilton-Huntly 1933 21 Buses daily, mostly hourly, the most frequent Waikato bus outside Hamilton[29]

From 1933 a Hamilton-Pukemiro service was run by Buses Ltd[30] (Blue Buses), though, a year earlier, it had been refused on the ground that there was an adequate train service.[31] Buses Ltd ran the Huntly service at least since 1933.[30][32]

Hamilton - Pukekohe 44 via Te Kauwhata - Meremere - runs fortnightly[33] Routes 21 and 44 are operated by Pavlovich.[6]
Hamilton-Orini Although licenses were refused for Orini and Whitikahu in 1938,[34] these rural areas, north east of Hamilton, had a bus to the city until about 1970.[35]
Glen Massey-Ngaruawahia ? ? Walkers Transport, Ngaruawahia[36]

SH26 routes to Morrinsville and SH2 routes to east - current routes 22 and 25

Route Start Finish Route No. Notes
Hamilton-Paeroa 22 The Hamilton-Morrinsville-Paeroa bus is least frequent of the buses connecting Hamilton with neighbouring towns.[37] A bus (No.25) also goes each way to Coromandel along the same route.[38]
Auckland-Paeroa AARD service advertised in 1926 as connecting with services to Thames, Waihi and Te Aroha.[39]
Auckland-Morrinsville-Te Aroha-Matamata-Tauranga/Rotorua-Taupo 1928 1981 Edwards Motors Ltd ran a daily[40] service from 1928 to 1981.,[41] being renamed Midland-Edwards Coachlines Ltd from March 1969.[42] In Matamata a purpose built terminal in Broadway was erected in 1954.[43] Edwards Motors Morrinsville Bus Depot was on the corner of Canada and Thames Street in 1968.[44] In 1955 services were being run to Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Rotorua, Paeroa and Putaruru, with a head office and garage at Gittos St, Auckland.[45]

Edwards Motors imported 2 Bedford SB coaches with Duple Vega bodies in 1952/53 for its Auckland - Morrinsville - Matamata service.[46] Edwards introduced New Zealand’s first rear-engined coaches in the summer of 1948, Reo No 21 “The Landliner” for its Auckland–Morrinsville–Matamata–Tauranga service, and, in 1956, the Bedford “Vistaliner” coaches.[47] Matamata is now served by InterCity Hamilton-Tauranga and Auckland-Rotorua routes.[48]

Matamata-Okauia Service to hot springs in 1933.[30]
Tauranga-Matamata 1916 Service car met Auckland trains - run by H M Griffiths.[49] By 1926 it was part of the AARD services.[39] Trains reached Tauranga in 1927.
Tauranga-Waihi AARD service advertised in 1926 took 3½hrs.[39] Naked Bus[50] and InterCity[51] now schedule an hour for the 60 km (37 mi).

SH23 routes to west coast - current route 23

Route Start Finish Route No. Notes
Hamilton-Raglan 1880 23 A coach service started as soon as the road was built. A motor service car was introduced about 1915[23] Operators included Alic Jackson (1880),[52] C.R. Johnston, Hamilton (1895),[53] Dalgleish & McDonald, J.K. Jefferies & Co.,[23] Bob Aitken,[54] R.T. (Dick) Turpin, Noel Douglas Robertson, H. Rogers, Fordy Wade, M. Pavlovich (1966),[23] and, currently, GoBus.[26]
Kawhia-Hamilton 1922 c.1923 From March 1922 a two and a half hour, Pakoka Landing to Frankton, via Te Mata, “Silver Trail”, bus service started, with a motor launch connection to Kawhia on Fridays.[55] Problems with rough roads and tides caused it to fail.
Kawhia-Auckland 1938 1976 In 1938 Western Highways started a service from Kawhia to Auckland via Makomako, Te Mata, Waingaro and Tuakau (via Highway 22) and back the next day. In 1946 Brosnan Motors started a daily run, leaving Kawhia at 5.45am, arriving at Auckland at 1pm, returning at 2 pm. and back at Kawhia about 9.30pm. In 1950 Brosnan Motors sold the Raglan-Kawhia section to Norman Rankin, who ended it in 1952. Brosnan Motors sold the Raglan-Auckland route to Pavlovich Motors in 1971. The first bus used on the Auckland-Kawhia run was a 7-seater Studebaker. Then a 10-seater Dodge used by Norman Collett later gave way to a 14-seater Oldsmobile. As the roads improved 18 and 21-seater Diamond T buses took over. Later 40-seaters ran from Raglan to Auckland,[56] until Pavlovich closed the route in 1976.[57]

SH3 routes to Te Awamutu and south west - current route 24

Route Start Finish Route No. Notes
Hamilton-Te Awamutu ? 24 GoBus run a daily service.[58] Hodgson's ran the service from at least 1933[30] Hodgsons became Hodgsons GoBus[59] and the service was augmented to include weekend and additional weekday journeys in December 2010.[60]
Hamilton-Pirongia 1926 ? Noel Douglas Robertson,[24] photo of coach and horses By 1933 Hodgsons were running a route via Te Awamutu.[30]
Hamilton-New Plymouth AARD and White Star services advertised in 1926 took 10hrs.[39] Naked Bus and InterCity now schedule 4 hours for the 241 km (150 mi).[61]
Hangatiki-Waitomo AARD service advertised in 1926 as meeting north and south-bound trains.[39]
Waitomo-Rotorua 1927 ? via Kihi Kihi-Pukeatua-Arapuni-Mamaku run by Noel Douglas Robertson, then New Zealand Railways Road Services from 1940[23]
Te Kuiti-Moeatoa 1925 An Auckland Weekly News photo of 12 March 1925 showed a service car at Waitanguru "about 20 miles from Te Kuiti" and a New Zealand Herald report later that year said the mail bus to the west coast via Mairoa and Waitanguru had been resumed after floods.[62]

Transport Centre

Most of Waikato's buses start and end their journeys at the Transport Centre on the corner of Anglesea St and Bryce St. The map of the Centre shows 27 stops in and around it. As well as bus stops and shelters, it has toilets, a cafe, an information counter and a booking office. It opened in 2001 and was designed by Worley Architects.[63] Prior to that the Transport Centre was the name later given to the late 1960s[64] bus station on the other side of Bryce St (now The Warehouse, but once the NZR Road Services depot and bus stops[65]), which was linked by a ramp to the underground station at Hamilton Central.[66] That site and the current centre and neighbouring properties are now included in Development Site 4 in the City's local area plan.[67] In earlier years buses had several terminals, including Frankton Junction[68] and Garden Place.[69]

Bicycle ban

The camber of Bryce St at the exit from the Centre has been a reason for Hamilton being the largest city in the country not to carry bicycles[70] on any of its public transport.[71] The entrance has been modified to avoid buses gouging the tar seal on Bryce St,[72] but there is still little clearance to allow for bike racks.[73] This probably explains why a 2011 policy to "investigate the feasibility of bikes on buses in the Waikato region"[74] is not in the 2015 Plan.[10]

Patronage

Patronage on Waikato buses increased from 1.2m trips in 2003 to 4.8m trips in 2009/10[60] and 5.1m in 2013/14.[75] In the year to March 2016 patronage in Hamilton was down 6.4% to 3,636,214.[76] Patronage peaked at 5.13m trips in 2011/12 and was 4.34m in 2014/15 according to the Transport Ministry.[77]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Travel patterns : Household travel | Ministry of Transport". www.transport.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  2. ↑ "Transport, 2007 | OECD READ edition". OECD iLibrary. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  3. ↑ - Hamilton routes
  4. ↑ BusIt Waikato regional services
  5. ↑ "Popular Cathedral Cove shuttle returns for 2015/16 summer". www.waikatoregion.govt.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  6. 1 2 Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "About us". busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  7. ↑ "Whitianga Ferry - Whitianga Water Transport". whitiangaferry.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  8. ↑ "Coromandel | 360 Discovery Cruises + Fullers". Fullers Ferries. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  9. ↑ "Aard North Island services of New Zealand". National Library of New Zealand. 1924.
  10. 1 2 "Waikato Regional Public Transport Plan 2015-2025" (PDF). www.waikatoregion.govt.nz. p. 25. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  11. ↑ "Northern Steam Ship Company - Depression and World War 2". www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  12. ↑ "Page 4 Advertisements Column 2 Northern Steamship time-table". New Zealand Herald. 1928-11-01. p. 4. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  13. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Hamilton routes". www.busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  14. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Orbiter". www.busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  15. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "CBD shuttle". www.busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  16. ↑ "Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 39, 16 February 1928, Page 20". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 February 1928.
  17. ↑ "Northern Explorer timetable". Kiwi Rail. 2016.
  18. ↑ "Frankton Borough Council". Waikato Argus. 1913-08-09. p. 2. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  19. ↑ Environment Waikato Bus Newz Summer '98
  20. ↑ HCC Annual Report 2004-5
  21. ↑ Route 26 bus timetable
  22. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Cambridge 20". busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Vernon, R. T. (1984). Raglan.
  24. 1 2 "Page 3 Advertisements Column 8". New Zealand Herald. 1926-11-16. p. 3. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  25. ↑ "Urban Connector - South Waikato District Council". www.southwaikato.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  26. 1 2 "Individual bus operators". www.busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  27. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Taupō Connector". www.busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  28. ↑ "Page 8 Advertisements Column 8". New Zealand Herald. 1938-04-30. p. 8. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  29. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Northern Connector 21". busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 "Transport Services.". Auckland Star. 1933-05-18. p. 5. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  31. ↑ "Bus Licence Refused.". New Zealand Herald. 1932-06-16. p. 11. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  32. ↑ "Page 24 Advertisements Column 8". New Zealand Herald. 1937-07-07. p. 24. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  33. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Hamilton - Te Kauwhata - Meremere - Pukekohe 44". busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  34. ↑ "Licensing Of Vehicles". New Zealand Herald. 1938-02-11. p. 9. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  35. ↑ "LESLIE BUSES". www.omnibus.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  36. ↑ Jones, Gwyneth. The End of an Era. Publicity Printing Ltd.
  37. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Morrinsville/Paeroa 22". busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  38. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Coromandel 25". www.busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 "Page 3 Advertisements Column 8". New Zealand Herald. 1926-11-16. p. 3. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  40. ↑ New Zealand Memories, Aug/Sep 2003; n.43:p.70-71 Ann Stokes on her work at the Matamata office of Edwards Motors in the late 1950s and as on-board hostess on the daily Matamata - Auckland bus
  41. ↑ Omnibus Society
  42. ↑ Omnibus Society
  43. ↑ Flickr photo
  44. ↑ Morrinsville Museum photos P/221 P/675 P/680
  45. ↑ Hobson Publications: Hamilton 1955 Civic, Commercial and Industrial Year Book
  46. ↑ Omnibus Society - Bedford-Duple
  47. ↑ Bus & Coah Assoc circular Feb 2012 p. 19
  48. ↑ InterCity timetable
  49. ↑ "Page 12 Advertisements Column 8". New Zealand Herald. 1916-02-07. p. 12. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  50. ↑ "Bus to Waihi « Bus From $1 | Cheap NZ Bus Travel | nakedbus.com". nakedbus.com. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  51. ↑ "Waihi - Bus Timetable // Search Bus Fares From Waihi". www.intercity.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  52. ↑ "Arrival Of The Alabama Coach From Hamilton.". Waikato Times. 1880-03-04. p. 2. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  53. ↑ "Untitled". Waikato Times. 1895-10-26. p. 6. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  54. ↑ "Waikato Times". Accident on Deviation motor car falls over bank Several People Injured - Monday February 10, 1919.
  55. ↑ Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 62, 15 March 1922, Page 14 Pakoka-Te Mata-Frankton advert launching bus service
  56. ↑ R T Vernon: Aotea Chapter 32
  57. ↑ R T Vernon: Raglan
  58. ↑ Council, corporateName=Waikato Regional. "Te Awamutu 24". www.busit.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  59. ↑ "Advert to advise 'There will be no Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Kihikihi bus service beginning Saturday December 24, restarting Monday January 9, 2006'" (PDF). Te Awamutu Courier. December 19, 2005.
  60. 1 2 Regional Public Transport Plan for the Waikato Region - Network Review Draft. Environment Waikato. 2010.
  61. ↑ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  62. ↑ "Damage By Floods.". New Zealand Herald. 1925-05-20. p. 13. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  63. ↑ "Transport Centre design unveiled". City News (Hamilton City Council). May 2000.
  64. ↑ Lanum, John. "Anglesea Street cnr Ward Street". ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  65. ↑ "Hamilton, including industrial area, possibly with Hamilton Hardware Ltd - shows bus stops and depot alongside railway line in the foreground of the photo.". National Library. 1955.
  66. ↑ "Lost Hamilton - Old Hamilton Bus Station, renamed, rather... | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  67. ↑ City Centre Local Area Plan. Hamilton City Council. 2012. p. 70.
  68. ↑ "Hamilton—The Empire's Dairy Capital — Where Grass Turns to Golden Wealth. — (Rly. Publicity photo.) — New Ferna-concrete Bridge across the Waikato River, Hamilton | NZETC". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  69. ↑ "Garden Place 1956 :: Garden Place". hamiltonlibraries.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  70. ↑ "A-Z general information - no bicycles on buses". busit.co.nz. Waikato Regional Council. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  71. ↑ "Hamilton City Council Transport Committee agenda 4 May 2010" (PDF). www.hamilton.govt.nz. p. 18. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  72. ↑ "Google Maps - Transport Centre street view 2010". Google Maps. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  73. ↑ "Google Maps - Transport Centre street view 2015". Google Maps. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  74. ↑ WAIKATO REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLAN 2011-2021 (PDF). 2011.
  75. ↑ Draft Waikato Regional Public Transport Plan 2015-2025 (PDF). Waikato Regional Council.
  76. ↑ "Hamilton Public Transport Joint Committee agenda for Wednesday 20 April 2016" (PDF). www.waikatoregion.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  77. ↑ "Transport volume : Public transport volumes | Ministry of Transport". www.transport.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
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