END OF AN ERA: Tukapua Tours coach on last community bus service run 24/6/2016

Snapped loading at the bus stop in Bath St., Levin, opposite New World Levin, for the 2pm departure to Shannon, Foxton, Foxton Beach and Waitarere Beach, the Tukapua Tours 1982 Hino BG100 coach (ex NZRRS No. 6128) operated by George Tukapua viewed on the last day day for this now aging coach operating on the Friday 'Day Out In Town' community bus service.

Passing is Tranzit No. 1127, a January 2011 BCI Explorer with Factory Built C57D bodywork, on the IC service from New Plymouth to Wellington.

The Tukapua Tours coach had been a pioneer of this service through the Te Horowhenua Trust since its inception in 2013 and started with a 3 month trial run which finished on 29 November 2013 and was revived on a permanent basis on Friday, 14 November 2014.

In a front page story in the Horowhenua Chronicle of 10 June 2016, it was publicised that the Horowhenua District Council said it was dissolving the Te Horowhenua Trust. The HDC citing that bringing the operation of the Horowhenua Library Trust and community services in-house was to optimise services, co-ordination and cost efficiencies, the overall aim being to improve the level and quality of services offered by the Council.

From Friday, 1 July 2016, the service will be subsidised by the Horizons Regional Council using a as yet unknown bus.

 

DAY OUT IN TOWN BUS TIMETABLE CHANGE

Thursday, 16 June 2016

Horowhenua's popular Day Out in Town Bus is to begin its loop of the District earlier in the day each Friday.

From Friday 1 July the bus's scheduled stops will be brought forward by 15 minutes, now departing from Te Takere in Levin at 9.15am. The bus will continue to travel via Shannon, Foxton Beach, Foxton and Waitarere Beach, before arriving back in Levin at 10.45am. It will then depart from Te Takere for the return loop at 1.45pm.

New timetables are available from Council's Levin office and service centres at the Foxton and Shannon community libraries, as well as from the visitor information centre at Te Takere.

The fare remains at $2 per passenger, providing affordable and reliable travel between the Horowhenua communities. The service will not operate on public holidays.

The Day Out in Town Bus service will be operated by Horizons Regional Council from July. Since 2014 it had been operated through Te Horowhenua Trust, funded by third party sources including New Zealand Lotteries, Infinity Foundation and Pub Charity.

New timetable is:

- 9.15am Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere

- 9.30am Shannon: Ballance Street bus stop

- 10.00am Foxton Beach: Community Centre, Seabury Avenue

- 10.10am Foxton: Main Street bus stop by de Molen windmill

- 10.25am Waitarere Beach: Outside Four Square

- 10.45am Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere

- 1.45pm Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere

- 2.00pm Shannon: Ballance Street bus stop

- 2.30pm Foxton Beach: Community Centre, Seabury Avenue

- 2.40pm Foxton: Main Street bus stop by de Molen windmill

- 2.55pm Waitarere Beach: Outside Four Square

- 3.15pm Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere

 

In 1981 NZRRS recieved 15 Hino BG100 coaches with NZMB bodies. 10 of these had C41F bodies and 5 C45F bodies. A number later received airconditioning including all the C45F vehicles.

TUKAPUA TOURS HINO BG100 HISTORY:

- New Zealand Railways Road Services No. 6128 KO2760 7/9/82

- New Zealand Railways Road Services No. 1071 1O71IC 16/10/89 (Auckland C45FA bodywork)

- Whangarei Bus Services Ltd No. 1071 1O71IC 15/7/91.

- Palmerston North Coach Line Ltd No. 411 1O71IC 6/10/94.

- Tukapua Tours Ltd, Levin, No. ? 1O7IC 5/7/04

Done