Raglan bus champion John Lawson has organised a meeting today Sunday July 19th to look at the unfair situation of Raglanites being charged triple rates for buses and getting the least frequent buses.
A reminder of Sunday 19 July, Better Buses meeting in the Town Hall Supper Room at 4pm.
If you’d like to do a bit of reading and thinking before Sunday, here’s something to start with –
- The new bus contract is 9 years from 1 Nov 2027, with an option to extend 2 years.
- The most obvious injustice is that, of all the areas paying $77.88 a year as a bus rate (see Map showing public transport rating zones), this is the only one to have cuts, though our bus has the least subsidy per passenger of the routes being tendered, the highest average load per bus and the least frequent bus. By contrast Pōkeno pays $27.26 a year for an hourly bus.
- Raglan is the only route to get “significantly reduce operating costs”. Waikato Regional Council (WRC)planned to reduce overcrowding by making the bus even less attractive to use, by ending services to Hamilton East, but delayed that change – “Considering feedback from the community and the capacity of local bus services to carry the extra number of students now needing to transfer, it is now being proposed that this change is delayed until the medium term when capacity on the local city services is guaranteed.” Medium term means “no fixed year — it could be as early as 2030 for some areas and later for others”.
- The 6.50 am to Hamilton has people standing before it reaches it’s destination and there is a limit on the number standing before it’s stopped by the police and the same on the way back. If you miss the overcrowded 3.45 pm you have to wait until 6.15 pm. After that there’s only Shuttle/Taxi.
- WRC’s consultation report (presented after WRC decided service levels) said 56.3% of users would use the bus less “If all Raglan services started and terminated at the Transport Centre”, which is planned for the medium term. That’s how they want to save money and solve the overcrowding problem.
- An extra morning and afternoon peak return service is coming “in the medium term”.
- Plus a 2-hourly bus in the long term, which means “in later years of the contract period – aspirational and subject to future investment.”
- By contrast Morrinsville will get buses “every 30 minutes peak and 60 minutes off peak and extend evening services to 9.00pm.” Morrinsville has 62,911 passengers a year, much lower and more subsidised than Raglan’s 94,046.
Route
| Annual Passengers | Passengers per service km | Passengers per vehicle per year | Operating cost per passenger ($) | Revenue per passenger ($) | Subsidy per passenger ($) | |
| 23 Raglan | 94,046 | 0.35 | 31,349 | 7.65 | 2.45 | 5.20 |
| 21 Huntly | 223,334 | 0.40 | 27,917 | 9.19 | 1.97 | 7.22 |
| 22 Morrinsville | 62,911 | 0.25 | 20,970 | 15.64 | 2.79 | 12.85 |
| 44 Pōkeno -Pukekohe | 31,333 | 0.15 | 15,667 | 19.98 | 1.82 | 18.16 |
WRC say – (Detail of WRC’s bus plans here)
- “Raglan, while projected to grow and attract high visitor numbers, is outside the Metro Spatial Plan area, and therefore has different service level targets.”
- WRC’s consultation report showed 60.4% (102) of Raglan respondents supported a better weekend service. Despite that level of support, the improvement was not included in the plan.
- By comparison, WRC plan to extend the Te Aroha service with 23.1% (31) of respondents in support and Morrinsville with 32.6% (43) support.
- The report also recorded: “Visitors frequently ask about transport options at info centres but are disappointed by the lack of services.”
- Last trip from Hamilton 6:15pm. 3pm weekends (see bus timetable).
- For example, since InterCity cut its 7.30 bus on Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, only on 4 days a week is it possible to get from Wellington to Raglan in a day by public transport and flying is not a lot better as there is no bus from Hamilton Airport to Hamilton.
| Mon Thu Fri | Tue Sat | Wed (train also Fri & Sun) | Sun | |
| Wellington | 7.30 | 9.15 | 7.55 | 7.30 |
| Hamilton | 17.10 | 18.40 | 16.25 | 17.10 |
| Hamilton | 18.15 | 18.15 | 18.15 | 15.00 |
| Raglan | 19.15 | 19.15 | 19.15 | 16.00 |
- Buses not timed to connect with other routes, except 12.20 was retimed by 5 min to connect with the Auckland train.
- Connections are hard with infrequent buses and nothing like the Swiss (and other countries) taktfahrplan, which schedules buses and trains to meet up at the same time.
- Go Raglan in a June 2025 letter to WRC said Raglan iHUB had over 12,000 visitors a year and withdrawal of buses during the Christmas and New Year period had left travellers stranded and caused them to miss connecting buses, trains and flights.
WHAT PROBLEMS DOES THIS CREATE FOR YOU?
- Taking tourists to Hamilton to meet intercity bus or te huia train
- Hitchhiking common – risks for drivers and tourists
- Narrow dangerous road – see Crash Map
- Visitors who are used to good public transport avoid Raglan
- Expensive and time consuming to drive 45km each way to Hamilton – especially with fuel increases – also Raglan has high level of awareness of climate change
RAGLAN’S GROWTH, BUT LACK OF PLANNING
- sewage plant upgraded
- plans for more water
- new power line has been laid
- but transport, health, education, etc seemingly unplanned
- 2001 2,667 population on census night, 2023 3,717, 2070 12,500 planned by Future Proof
| 2018-2070 population change | |
| Raglan | 8,500 |
| Te Kauwhata | 8,000 |
| Huntly & Ohinewai | 6,500 |
| Taupiri | 3,500 |
| Ngaruawahia | 3,500 |
| Te Kowhai | 3,500 |
| Tuakau | 3,000 |
| Morrinsville | 2,400 |
- structure plan needed to ensure funding for adequate services, especially in summer – 27% Raglan houses were empty at the October 2023 census (528 empty, 1,395 occupied), in addition to which other houses take more in summer. WRC’s plans are based on census populations.
- bus doesn’t go to the new subdivisions – connector needed for @ Rangitahi, @ Te Uku, @ Greenslade Rd, @ Te Hutewai Rd + other infills and smaller developments.
- The promotional video used by Go Raglan last year was very successful with people coming from Hamilton to Raglan for the day. This aligns with what the bigger cities are trying to do to save money and fuel.
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT IT? – workshop groups could talk about –
- Problems – WHAT are the problems for You, business / study, visitors / guests , family, accessibility / disability…
- • Frequency
• Confidence
• Cost
• Climate Change
• Events in Raglan but no transport
• Serious and fatal injuries / road speed
• Funding for buses; understand the current system of funding
• Understand the future scope of funding for buses
• Future proof Better Buses for Raglan and Hamilton
2. Aspirations
• More peak hour services
• ?? minute services in peak hours
• Better buses for our tourists
• Get people out of cars – a far better bus services
3. Buses Campaign
• Lobbying
• Petitions
• WRC
• Guerilla tactics
• Demonstrations
4. ‘Better Buses” – Buses Working Group
• Further meetings (Sunday August Sunday 4pm)
• Ongoing publicity – Positive story – driver “Sunny”
• Structure Plan for Better Buses
5. Other transport problems and aspirations
- report back and decide what to do next and when.
Tell us on Sunday, or let me know before if you’ve ideas about these.
Ngā mihi
John.