21thst Jan Nov - 27 Nov 2014 2017 27 3rdthFeb
FIRST ON THE STREET
No No 434 627
LAKES WEEKLY BULLETIN
1 J IN O 15 SI BS D E
www.lwb.co.nz • buy • accommodation • sell • information • jobs • enquiries@lwb.co.nz
I probably shouldn’t encourage whinging. Queenstown is pretty good at it already. But for once, our collective whinging can be put to good use. This week, the QLDC and ORC’s new $2 bus system, the Orbus, comes into play and to get it right, they need our feedback. The system has been put into place in a “challenging” time frame, so there’s bound to be routes, schedules and transfers that don’t work at first. Until the 26th November, the GoCards (usually $5) and the bus fares are free, so this week is the best time to hop on a bus, take notes and send it to the QLDC or ORC (the easiest way is probably on their Facebook page - @OrbusQT). There’s also a nifty app, called Choice Queenstown, which works as a route planner, showing live updates on the whereabouts of buses. After the 26th, bus fares are $2 a pop with a GoCard. This ‘tap and go’ sort of system has been popular in other parts of the world for many years. You’ll find an Oyster card in the pockets of most Londoners and it’s near impossible to travel Tokyo without hopping on a public train. Though Queenstown is nowhere near as big as a city, transport is inherently linked to urban development and anyone living locally for the last five years will have noticed a lot of urban development going on around the Wakatipu Basin.
Otago regional council’s Nick Donnelly, Lauren Prebble & Mayor Jim Boult at the launch of the new Orbus bus system at the Village Green on Monday
(Photo: Jodi Walters)
Public transport is essential for the success of a growing community because it connects us, it enables easy access between suburbs and centres and it’s all-inclusive. Though the Orbus system won’t be immediately convenient for everyone, there’ll be many families and individuals who will rely on it. A $2 bus system will help to reduce living costs; people on low incomes, young and elderly people and people with disabilities typically benefit the most from inexpensive public transport. Research has shown that public transport increases productivity by up to 23% and even those not using buses benefit – there’ll be less congestion on the road and more parking available. Yes, those parking spaces will be slightly more expensive, but in a world where time is money, it might just work out cheaper than getting stuck in traffic (last weekend’s marathon madness being a prime example).
Phở /Fuh/
noun 1. a magical soup made of beef, broth and rice noodle 2. heralded as the best hangover cure known to mankind ~ caveday.com
Queenstown’s drink driving statistics might dip too – the Orbus runs until after midnight, so we can enjoy few cheeky after-work pints this summer. The only catch is that this is a use-it-or-lose-it system. We need to give the buses a chance and for once, we need to whinge about it. With a bit of constructive criticism and positive feedback, we’ll soon have a public bus system that really works well for the community it serves.
Feeling a hangover? We got you covered.
Lunch Special $12
Bethany G. Rogers Geordie Off-Shore
BRAZILIAN PARTY www.qac.co.nz
THIS SATURDAY
88 Beach Street, Steamer Wharf
saigonkingdom.co.nz JOHN RAVENS WEATHER Last week John was 98% correct
RENTAL PROPERTIES
See inside back cover for our full list
TUES
WED
THUR
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
Morning cloud then fine.
Fine apart from morning cloud.
Morning cloud then fine.
Morning and evening cloud
Morning and evening cloud.
Showers. Little wind.
Showers with little wind.