Horizons Regional Council’s manager transport services Mark Read says, “Public transport trips in Whanganui increased 86 percent in March 2023 when compared to March 2022 – this is a massive boost. Forty-five percent of all Whanganui trips are now on The Tide.”

Te Ngaru The Tide is now the third most used public transport route in the Horizons region and the most used in Whanganui.

Whanganui District Council’s representative on Horizons’ Passenger Transport Committee, Anthonie Tonnon, says: “From other centres, we’ve seen it usually takes months to grow patronage for a new service, so it’s amazing to see such a quick increase in public transport use and a range of people – young and old – making The Tide part of their day.”

He says since The Tide launched there’s been an increase in passengers each week.

“Sometimes you may see just a few people on board when the bus goes past – but with the bus going every 20 minutes and people catching The Tide at many points between Castlecliff and Aramoho, passenger numbers really add up.”

Check out the media release for more.