Public transport in Waikato

Services are mainly infrequent, and investment hasn't been sufficient to compete with cars, so that subsidies, first introduced in 1971, have increased.

Waka Kotahi states that 90% of anticipated revenue is committed to a significant programme of work already underway .

"[1] So, although a Mass Transit Plan, aiming to increase public transport's share in Hamilton to 10%, by running services at 10 minute intervals, was to be developed in 2019,[2] it has yet to be funded by Waka Kotahi.

[3] As the map shows, the coverage is sparse and even of those services which operate daily, most have only 2 or 3 buses a day in each direction.

[4] From Monday 21 February 2022, the less frequent Hamilton buses were cut to hourly, or 2-hourly, due to driver shortages.

[5] The Te Huia commuter train started on 6 April 2021[6] and runs 6 days a week to Auckland Strand.

[12] On 19 July 2021, a ferry service began on the Waikato River,[13] linking Swarbrick's Landing and Braithwaite Park with the museum and gardens.

[15] Shuttle buses provide the only public transport to a number of places, including Hamilton Airport,[16] Whitianga and Whangamatā.

Buses Ltd had cut its fares in 1928 to achieve a virtual monopoly by driving Green Bus Co. out of business.

[132] From 18 April 2017 the service was cut back to Paeroa, using a bus with 2 bike racks[133] and GoBus took over[110] from Turley Motors.

[134] A Coromandel – Paeroa – Rotorua service started on 8 May 2017,[135] but was suspended when Naked Buses were sold to Ritchies on 15 July 2018.

[153] Edwards Motors imported 2 Bedford SB coaches with Duple Vega bodies in 1952/53 for its Auckland – Morrinsville – Matamata service.

[201] Many companies now run school bus services, including GoBus,[202] Cambridge Travel Lines[203] and Murphy.

[207][208] From February 2017 University of Waikato has been using car parking fees to subsidise student fares by 30%[209] and to provide new bus links to Tokoroa, Putāruru, Ngāruawāhia, Huntly, Te Kauwhata, Thames, Piopio, Te Kūiti, Ōtorohanga, Matamata, Coromandel, Whitianga and Whangamata.

The concept is for a bus rapid transit network linking the airport, Ruakura and Te Awa Lakes at 5-minute intervals during the peak.

This graph shows totals of rural and urban passenger journeys per financial year in Waikato -Sources 1962–76,[220] 1991–95,[221] 1996–2001,[222] 2002–2007,[223] 2008,[224] 2009/10,[180] 2011/12,[225] 2013/14,[226] 2014/15,[225] 2016,[227] 2017,[26] 2018,[228] 2019,[229] 2020, 2021.

[233] This table shows patronage by routes for the year to January 2017,[234] Bee card records at the Transport Centre between 22 and 28 February 2021[235] and 2021 year - Patronage varies greatly, with all seats taken on the Orbiter at rush hours and over 60% full on the Northern Connector (serving Huntly and The Base), Raglan and Silverdale routes.

[244] Prior to that the Transport Centre was the name later given to the late 1960s[245] bus station on the other side of Bryce St (now The Warehouse, but once the NZR Road Services depot and bus stops),[246] which was linked by a ramp to the underground station at Hamilton Central.

[250] The camber of Bryce St at the exit from the Centre was a reason for Hamilton being the largest city in the country[251][252][253][254] not to carry bicycles on any of its public transport.

[255][256] The entrance was modified to avoid buses gouging the tar seal on Bryce St,[257] but there is still little clearance to allow for bike racks.

[262] In 2014 $4 million spent on 10 low-floor MAN buses made the Hamilton fleet fully wheelchair accessible.

[276] In 2017/18 solar-powered, real-time arrival information boards were installed at 5 bus stops[277] and CCTV and wifi on buses.

[43] The Transit app was introduced in 2017, allowing mobile phone users to track buses and plan journeys.

[293] A Regional Petrol Tax, levied in Hamilton (0.265 cents a litre in 1996),[294] supported public transport from 1992 to 1996.

[299] In December 2016, it was reported that Pavlovich Coachlines passengers would receive free rides due to a worker protest.

[300] In October 2017 First Union presented a petition to Regional Council asking for contracts with bus companies to include a requirement to pay a living wage.

[305] 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.

From about 1915 service cars replaced coaches, though there were many accounts of poor roads (see External links).