Overnight Bus Service

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 29, 20 December 1983, Page 8

Overnight Bus Service

Bus passengers who use the overnight NZR Road Service combined freight/ - passenger vehicles between the Waimarino and Palmerston North or Wellington cannot expect to avoid the long delay at Taihape without refreshment in the middle of the night. This was announced recently by the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair, in reply to a question about the possible improvement of services through Taihape. At present south-bound passengers from National Park, Raetihi and Ohakune can catch the Hamilton-Taumarunui-Palmerston North overnight passenger/ - freight bus and change at Taihape for Wellington. Travellers from Waiouru can either catch the same bus or the earlier ones from Rotorua, Auckland and Tauranga that pass through Waiouru at about 12.30am. Either way all services meet up in Taihape for an exchange of freight, mails and passengers between 1am and 2.30am. Up until five months ago this exchange took place at Marton at about 3am and 4am. At neither Marton (which was unprotected from the weather) nor Taihape where the depot is covered are there refreshment facilities at that hour of the night, even though Ministry of Transport regulations require coach drivers to take a 30 minute compulsory break after driving a specified number of hours. The Minister did say that a new depot will be constructed at Bulls and if it proves possible for the transhipment of mails and freight to be carried out there, waiting room and refreshment facilities will also be provided. This could be some time away ... in the meantime the status quo remains.