Thursday March 22, 2018
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Street clean-ups for Neighbours Day
New bus fleet en route to Wellington region streets Wellington’s brand new fleet of electric and environmentally-friendly diesel buses is on the way. Tranzurban, part of the Tranzit Group, will operate a big part of the new Metlink urban bus network from July in collaboration with Greater Wellington Regional Council. Kiwi Bus Builders in Tauranga will deliver 40 new buses, including 10 fully-electric double-deckers, with a further 114 Optare MetroCity buses now being built in the United Kingdom. The first shipment of Optare buses have left Southampton in the United Kingdom and are en route to Wellington. The remainder of Tranzit’s new 234-strong Wellington region fleet, including 28 Euro 6 diesel
Housing New Zealand is organising street clean-ups and barbecues in Wellington to mark Neighbours Day on Saturday. “Our staff will be out in force cleaning up and putting on a barbecue for our tenants and their neighbours,” says Derek Osborn, Area Manager Wellington. “Good neighbourhoods need good neighbours that look out
One of the 28 new Tranzurban BCI Euro 6 double-deckers – in Metlink colours – coming to Wellington. At the front of the bus is a bike rack, which each Tranzurban bus will have. PHOTO: Supplied
double-deckers which meet the highest global emissions standard, are being built by BCI. Tranzit Group transport and operations director Keven Snelgrove says the first of the new MetroCity buses will arrive in Wellington next month. Construction of Tranzurban’s electric double-deckers is going extremely well, Keven says. Tranzurban has successfully trialled a prototype electric bus in Wellington recently, with results exceeding performance expectations. Dubbed EV1, Tranzurban’s single-decker electric bus has been tested on various routes in Wellington – including some of the city’s hilliest. Most recently it has been transporting passengers from the Wellington cruise ship terminal
to the city and back. “Power, reliability and range results have been excellent,” says Keven. “It has proven to be more than capable of the meeting the stop-start requirements of a passenger vehicle, as well as handling the hilly roads typical of Wellington. “Electric is the future for public transport and we’re excited to bring it to Wellington.” Ahead of the introduction of fleet, Tranzurban will be offering free rides every half hour on one of its electric buses from lower Cuba Street on Friday. In addition, the public will have the chance to drive an electric vehicle provided they have a full driver’s licence and are at least 25 years old. The vehicles on display are part of the fourth annual Leading the Charge Road Trip.
for each other, especially when times get tough.” Housing New Zealand events will be in Endeavour Street, Lyall Bay on March 23 and Evans Bay Parade, Kilbirnie on March 24. All events will be held between 10am and 2pm. St Vincent de Paul and the Police are also volunteering their time to help out with the events.