Busway a hit

Record patronage is providing icing on the $300 million Northern Busway cake.

From February to May, 858,682 passengers were carried on express buses running exclusively on the busway, says North Shore City Council infrastructure and environment committee chairman Ken McKay.

Mr McKay says this is a 48 percent increase over the same period last year.

In May alone bus patronage was up by 78 percent compared to the same period in 2007.

He says increased patronage is also evident in feeder bus services particularly those that link with the park and ride facilities in Albany and Constellation Drive.

"This is great news. The increase shows the busway is providing a service that people want," Mr McKay says.

He says the busway’s efficiency and reliability can best be appreciated during morning and evening peak hours when buses speed past the crawling traffic on the northern motorway.

"I expect more and more people will choose to take the bus and use the busway because most North Shore residents now have convenient access to a local service close to home," he says.

- © Fairfax NZ News