The Bus Network Refresh: connecting Tauranga City, the Mount, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke aims to simplify, optimise and improve bus services in Tauranga within the existing budget.

Thank you very much to everyone who gave their feedback during this consultation. We received lots of great suggestions and heard some frustrations from the 160+ submissions.

Our transport team have reviewed all feedback and taken the community’s views onboard. In some cases, suggestions are unable to be implemented in this round of changes due to costs, but they are certainly noted for future reviews.

On 26 August, our Public Transport Committee approved the final route and timetable changes proposed for the Bus Network Refresh and these changes are planned to be rolled out this November. These route changes include:

• Route 5 has been altered to only travel between Tauranga City, Mt Maunganui and Bayfair. It will use Links Avenue rather than Maunganui Road.
• Route 55 will continue to travel the same route that it currently does, but the timetable has been altered to better reflect actual travel times.
• Route 2W will continue to travel the same route that it currently does (ie via Wairakei Avenue and Emerald Shores Drive).
• Route 2B will extend to travel via Stevenson Drive instead of Livingstone Drive.
• Route 20, all trips will travel via Tara Road except for specific trips at school times that will travel via Pāpāmoa Plaza and Doncaster Drive.
• Route 21 will travel between Mt Maunganui and Papamoa Plaza, using the existing Goldline route.
• Route 22 afternoon timetable has been extended to include more trips to Papamoa.

The new route maps and timetables will be available on the Baybus website closer to the start date. Thanks again and we look forward to keeping you updated as this project progresses.