Waitara and Inglewood residents can jump aboard a free bus to the Festival of Lights this summer, thanks to Taranaki Regional Council.
Return bus services will run from Queen St, Waitara on 20 December and 5 January and from Moa St, Inglewood on 22 December and 18 January. Each will leave at 7pm and return at 10.15pm, allowing passengers plenty of time to take in the sights and sounds of the iconic festival.
It’s one of several special bus services the Council is putting on this summer, including extended timetables in place for three Saturdays this month on buses across Taranaki.
The Council also provided a popular free bus for the Waitara Night Market last month in conjunction with New Plymouth District Council and had scheduled special free buses for the New Plymouth Christmas Parade, which was sadly cancelled due to weather.
Council Transport Manager Cheryl Gazley says she hopes people will take advantage of the Festival of Lights buses for a fun night out.
“The Festival is an incredible event attracting people from all over New Zealand. We wanted to help make it more accessible for people in those communities without transport and encourage others to ditch their car for the night.
“We’re expecting a festive, family-friendly atmosphere on the buses, which will drop off and pick up at the Fillis St gate meaning no parking worries or long walk back to the car at the end of the night.”
The Saturday services began on 2 December and will run again on 9 and 16 December. The usual Saturday Citylink timetable has been extended with Routes 1 to 9 in New Plymouth and Route 20 from Waitara to NP running at regular intervals throughout the day. There is also a Southlink Waverley to Hāwera service connecting with the Ōpunake/Hāwera to New Plymouth Connector, timed for Christmas shoppers or those visiting friends or family for the day.
The Council recently completed public consultation on its draft Better Travel Choices for Taranaki strategy, with councillors due to deliberate on its final form in February.
Ms Gazley says the Council is committed to making public transport more accessible and this may include more buses and extended routes for special events in the future.
Click here for more information on bus services and timetables.