Announced some time, ago but coming into effect on 5 July, are changes to the following routes:
- 7 Halswell
- 40 Wainoni
- 46 Shirley
- 49 North Shore
- 60 Parklands
- 70 Queenspark
Which will now become:
- 7 Halswell-Queenspark
- 40 Wainoni
- 45 North Shore
- 46 Marshland
- 60 Parklands
In addition to a change in operator there have been increases in service frequency while some routes have been extended (e.g. 46 Shirley/Marshland) and others completely changed (49/45 North Shore).
Perhaps the most obvious change in operations is the pairing of the Queenspark and Halswell routes, which continues a recent trend in Christchurch. I imagine such moves increase space availability at the City Exchange as buses don’t need to run through, stand, and then run back through again for a return journey. In any case, Christchurch must be getting some rather long bus routes now!
Check out the new timetables and route map at Metro.
marsoe
Christchurch Transport Blog 
David Welch
June 24, 2010
Another good thing I notice is that 45 and 46 are actually co-ordinated, running as a coupled pair, so that there is a service up Mamchester Street along Bealey Avenue and up Barbadoes Street every 15 minutes weekdays and every 30 minutes off peak. The area around Barbadoes Street/Bealey Avenue must be one of the most redeveloped areas in town, with rows of higher density housing and apartments having already replaced many of the older houses – certainly warrants at least this level of service.
There’s some real gaps in the new service, but overall it is possibly slightly better than the previous pattern. However I don’t want to sound too excited! Sure, more people in North East area get bus access to QEII; some more of the Burwood Hospital staff, visitors may now be able to get there by bus. But now there will be no way of getting from South of the Avon to QEII, the old 49 North Shore wasn’t exactly user friendly but it least it got in the area, now there is no service whatsoever! Or not unless you spend an extra 15 -30 minutes going out New Brighton first and transferring!to get back in to QEII, ridiculously clumsy. So much for the city council pools for areas policy and CC/Ecan claims to be getting people out of cars!! Aso no direct bus connection now between Eastgate and the northeast are north of the Avon at all. Not sure how Goldcards and teenagers etc get around the east if they want to travel across the radial arm routes.
I see the elongated routes as being a reflection of the Metro policy of trying to make one route do everything – a simple systematic and consistent route system is great but they take it too far. Community access needs (to malls, QEII, High Schools etc)don’t always work for people wanting to get straight to work, as is reflected in Metro’s very low percentage of peak hour commuters by world standards.
Why not have some peak hour only routes to get commuters directly to the city?
So far, looking at these changes all I see is swings and roundabouts, a few minor gains but not huge advances, no big move towards a more sophisticated system that might have some real hope of attracting commuters or being really useful to non-car users on the eastside
jhumm
June 26, 2010
A comprehensive peak-hour express bus network would achieve wonders in Christchurch for relatively little cost.