Bus trial back on the cards

Auckland Transport (AT) planners have been asked to fine-tune how existing bus routes and a new on-demand trial service can work best in Warkworth and the surrounding areas.

Rodney Local Board members made the call at a workshop where a $2,550,000 three-year on-demand bus service trial for Warkworth, Leigh and Sandspit was being discussed.

The trial was originally approved in September, but was paused in May, when members voted to investigate whether the money could be better spent on improving the local road network, in light of extreme floods and storms.

Following a boost for road maintenance in Auckland Council’s recent budget, however, local members have been looking again at the bus trial.

At the workshop on August 2, Warkworth members Michelle Carmichael and Ivan Wagstaff asked senior service network planner Dave Hilson to look into extending the 997 Matakana and 998 Wellsford service to include a new loop west of Warkworth town centre, via Woodcocks Road, and using the smaller on-demand trial buses to serve Leigh, Point Wells and Omaha.

Hilson said he would report back at the next workshop, on November 1.