Tapawera

Tapawera Community Transport Pilot
9 April 2024 to 17 April 2025

The six seater Serena bus, purchased by the Nelson Tasman Community Transport Trust (NTCTT), was reassigned to Tapawera for a community transport pilot service that commenced 9 April 2024.

Following research done in Tapawera by the NTCTT, it was agreed to have a weekly passenger service to Richmond on Tuesdays to coincide with pension day and on Wednesdays to Motueka.  The service left the Tapawera Community Centre at 9:30am and departed Richmond/Motueka at 2pm.  The service to Motueka was, after community consultation, changed to a Thursday service departing Tapawera Community Centre at 9:30am and returning from Motueka at 1pm from 1 December 2024.  It was also agreed to trial cash fares from 1 December 2024 through to 9 March 2025.

The Serena vehicle (based in Tapawera) was also available for community hire.  An example of this was the Nelson return trips for social outings to festivals, with six people this cost $60 return i.e. $10 per person.

We would like to thank members of the Tapawera community that used the transport services.  Unfortunately, the patronage has been mostly just one or two passengers per trip and sometimes no bookings at all.  

The Tapawera Community Transport Pilot has now completed a full 12 months and we will be bringing it to a close with our last service to Motueka on Thursday 17 April 2025.

The NTCTT would like to thank the Motueka isite for handling the bookings with our customers on these Tapawera services.  

We would also like to acknowledge the huge community contribution our volunteer drivers have made over the course of the year.   We have really appreciated all of the support, positive energy and of course safe driving you have done on behalf of and for the community.   Ngā mihi nui.

What next for Tapawera?
We think a ride-share platform like www.coseats.co.nz might be easy for the community to use.