Fair Go: Bus service pulls the plug on small town after complaints of dangerous stop

Takapau residents say they just wanted a safer stop – instead they were told to take a hike.

Takapau is a tiny village - 400 or so people - halfway between Hastings and Palmerston North. And like many small New Zealand towns, its residents sometimes feel a bit cut off, a bit overlooked.

They really relied on the Intercity bus service which stopped out on the main road - State Highway 2 - for pickups and drop offs from Takapau.

Last year locals got a petition up saying the main road stop was dangerous and inconvenient, and the buses should come off the main road - about a kilometre - and stop in the middle of town, near the public toilets and bus shelter. 

Intercity argued that going into the village added too much time to the trip, and it was dangerous for their drivers to enter and exit off the main road. 

The NZTA got wind of the situation and said yes, the stop is dangerous, and also illegal because there are no-stopping yellow lines on that stretch of road. 

So Intercity pulled the bus service entirely. 

Locals have since had to drive to either Waipukurau or Norsewood to catch the bus - tricky if you don’t have a car in the first place.

Fair Go asked Intercity if they would reconsider, given the difficulties experienced by the locals since the bus had pulled out. 

Intercity has announced that just as soon as NZTA can design a safe way for buses to get in and out of Takapau - and once everyone agrees on a bus stop - it is ready to return to the village. 

And the Takapauians are delighted.

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