Wednesday July 25, 2018
17
LETTERS to the editor
“Bland assurances” fail to impress this local Dear Editor On July 3, Metlink advertised a meeting to notify Churton Park residents of the changes to the local bus service. The numbers overwhelmed both the facility and the Metlink staff. Where questions could be asked bland assurances were given, but some answers were wrong. Asked why there were no stops depicted on the large wall map for outbound buses from Johnsonville to Grenada and Churton Park, the response
was: “It’s a small error but they are shown in the timetable”. They weren’t. Many people failed to get into the Community Centre. A larger venue, more Metlink staff and a longer period for meeting was clearly needed. On July 15 when the “new service” started many people wanted to ride on the much-touted electric double deck buses. There were no electrics and the diesel double decks were running but to not to timetable. At Basset Road a
customer waited for 25 minutes at the stop for a bus. Three then came along; one from Johnsonville West and two from Churton Park. The latter should have been half an hour apart. It was anticipated that things would not go perfectly on the first weekday. By Friday there were however many cases of four or five Route One buses following each other instead of being spaced out at regular intervals. Other failures noted were drivers failing to set down
passengers at signposted bus stops, one driver conceding he didn’t know the stop was there. Another driver, presumably trying to get back on schedule, made three attempts to leave a stop, but passengers were still coming down the stairs. That has significant safety implications. On Monday there was an electric double deck bus, “Not in Service”, at Reef Street under the charging gantry. All equipment access doors on the bus were open and two obviously Letters on issues of communit y interest are welcomed. Guidelines are that they should be no longer than 150 words. They must be signed and a street address provided to show good faith, even if a nom de plume is provided for publication. The editor reserves the right to abridge letters or withhold unsuitable let ters from publication. Send or fax them to the address on page two, or email them to news@wsn.co.nz. Please note that your name and street address must also be provided in e mails.
puzzled technicians were in the bus scanning drawings and manuals. Metlink has made some changes, one piece of good news being that if a Gold Card user starts their journey before 3pm and must continue their journey on a second bus within 30 minutes they will be allowed to do so Name provided, Johnsonville
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Sounds of silence for fight against pests They’re whisper quiet, designed to spring a nasty surprise on the critters that daily degrade our environment and underm ine our biodiversity. Greater Wellington Regional Council’s two new UBCO 2X2 electric farm bikes, described as an environmentally friendly option for Greater Wellington, are providing the perfect platform for night shooting possum, rabbits and hares. They give shooters the advantage of near-silence during pest eradication. By day the team uses the bikes to hit the tracks in pursuit of possum, rats and stoats. “The main appeal of electric bikes is they are silent, ma k ing them br illiant for night shooting,” says Greater Wellington team leader, pest animals, Glen Falconer. “Because they are light and manoeuvrable they also get us through tight tracks into tough country, so we can now cover more ground, control more pests and protect land you can’t get to on regular bulky motorbikes. “So we can be more ef-
ficient as walking takes up a lot of our time. The bikes will also be used to get around when servicing bait stations and traps, surveying animal populations, checking tracks and controlling pest plants throughout the region.” The Portage Battery System on board can power devices and tools while in transit. The team can also connect to the bikes digitally through the new UBCO user app. They have been tested out in the field and performed very well while carrying heavy loads, and over all terrain. The public are also invited to take part in a competition running through the Greater Wellington Facebook page. Each day a question is being posted on Greater Wellington’s Facebook page, related to biosecurity. Answers can be left in a comment on the Facebook post or emailed to engage@ gw.govt.nz with a deadline of 5pm on Friday July 27. All correct answers will be entered into a draw then five people will be selected at random and notified on Monday July 30.
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The 2018 2x2 dual-use bike weighs 63kg, have no clutch or drive-train, no emissions, and no noise. Their Portage battery system can power devices and tools while in transit. The team can also connect to the bikes digitally. PHOTO supplied.
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10 Burgess Road
(1st left next to KFC) Johnsonville Ample off street Parking