Nelson buses continue for essential staff and essential journeys
24/03/2020 6:24am
From Thursday, 26 March Nelson buses will operate a reduced timetable and travel will be restricted to essential workers and people accessing essential services who are not unwell.
Buses on the Nelson to Richmond line, routes 1 and 2, will operate on a Saturday timetable Monday to Saturday, but there will be additional early morning services from 7am to ensure key workers can get to work at the start of their shift. The normal Sunday timetable will operate.
A reduced timetable for routes 3,4 and 5 can be found below, and there will be no Late Late Bus and no Stoke Loop Service.
Council and Central Government both see public transport as an essential service that supports key workers access places of employment while enabling healthy people to access essential services such as the supermarket, hospital or pharmacy.
While the risk of Covid-19 transmission remains high, it is imperative that Nelsonians using public transport continue to practice physical distancing and good hygiene. Stay at least one metre away from other passengers; this means keeping the seat next to you free.
If it is no longer possible for passengers to use the bus while remaining one metre apart, the driver will not stop to pick up new passengers. We do not anticipate the buses to be heavily used during this period, but if this becomes a problem Council will put on an extra service.
To protect our drivers the seats nearest them will be taped off. Please use seats further back on the bus. On buses that allow it, entry will be through the rear door. Front doors will be opened to allow a person using a wheelchair to get on.
Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese stresses how important it is to maintain physical distancing.
“Please, only use public transport if you are an essential worker, or need to get food or health care and do not use it if you feel unwell. Right now, being careful is being kind, so please keep an appropriate physical distance, and follow the Government’s advice regarding hygiene.”
Passengers are also being asked to make sure they have washed their hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds, or with hand sanitiser, at the start and end of their trip. Buses are now being cleaned at the end of every journey.
In addition to this, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has decided that all journeys on public transport services in New Zealand will be free until June 30 or if the alert level drops before then. This is to help protect the bus driver from unnecessary interaction with passengers.
NELSON - RICHMOND : ROUTES 1 and 2
From Monday to Saturday the normal SATURDAY timetable will apply with additional early morning services from 7am.
Normal SUNDAY timetable
CITY SERVICES Routes 3 , 4 and 5
From Monday to Saturday
Route 3 Atawhai – 0700, 0800, 0930, 1030, 1130, 1240, 1310, 1410, 1500, 1600, 1700
Route 4 Brook – 0730, 0830, 0900, 1000, 11001, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1530, 1630, 1730
Route 5 Victory / Hospital – 0700, 0730, 0930, 1030, 1140, 1240, 1340, 1440, 1530, 1630, 1730
No Sunday services
NO LATE LATE BUS SERVICE
NO STOKE LOOP SERVICE
