Waikato Regional Council news
Travel on board Waikato Regional Council’s BUSIT services is available to people who either work in essential services or need to use the bus to access an essential service, like the pharmacy or the supermarket.
23 Raglan -Weekend timetable operates seven days a week on Raglan to Hamilton service.
From 27 March, passengers are asked to register their journey to help health authorities with COVID-19 contact tracing if it’s required.
A short form is on the BUSIT website (busit.co.nz) for passengers to fill out with their name, contact number/s, the date and time of travel and on what service they travelled. Alternatively, passengers can call the 24-hour bus info line on 0800 205 305 to provide travel information.
Posters and an alert on the popular Transit app will prompt people to complete the form.
“We know our passengers will do the right thing because this is about the safety of our community and enabling health authorities to more easily do their jobs to protect us all,” said council chair Russ Rimmington.
“The information will be kept private and only be used by the Ministry of Health for contact tracing if required.
“The form is online to make it easy for people to complete while in the bus and to remove the need for paper and pens. Or our customers can call 0800 205 305 and our contact centre staff will do it for them,” he said.
Meanwhile, on BUSIT services passengers are being asked to sit in rows away from each other to maintain a physical distance and give the bus driver some space.
Bus travel is also free of charge until further notice so there is no exchange of cash or BUSIT cards between drivers and passengers.
Bus entry is by the rear doors where possible, which excludes at the Hamilton Transport Centre and where passengers – such as wheelchair users – require the ramp for boarding.