The Taranaki Regional Council will be providing free public transport to people working for essential services and to people who require transport for medical reasons such as going to a pharmacy and to get to the local supermarket.
The status of regional bus services is as follows:
CITYLINK SCHOOL bus services - CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
SOUTHLINK bus services - CANCELLED until the week of Monday 30 March 2020. Revised service details to be advised.
CITYLINK bus services – All services will be running as usual on Wednesday 25 March. Reduced service levels will be in place from Thursday 26 March with details to be advised.
CONNECTOR bus services – from Wednesday 25 March there will be one return trip per day. Departing Hāwera 9.35am and returning from New Plymouth at 1.50pm. This service is only available to TDHB patients, essential services people or those with a genuine need to travel e.g. approved hospital visitors booked by TDHB staff. Members of the public travelling to another centre to go shopping will not be permitted to travel on this service.
TOTAL MOBILITY – we are expecting advice from the Government within the next couple of days on any potential changes to this service. Until then all current procedures must be followed. Please contact your usual operator for any additional safety requirements they may have implemented. If you are travelling in a non-wheelchair vehicle please sit in the back seat on the kerbside of the vehicle.
Our aim is to provide services to ensure that people are kept safe, so we will be implementing measures on our services such as physical distancing.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
For a complete list of essential services visit - https://covid19.govt.nz/government-actions/covid-19-alert-level/#Essential-businesses(external link)