Straight from city council A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris

This December will see the start of Tauranga's new and much-improved bus network. Our colleagues at Bay of Plenty Regional Council (they run the buses) have been working hard to develop a new service that finally reflects the growth of our dynamic city.

Routes will be more direct, more frequent, and coverage will be extended throughout our suburbs; connecting more people and reducing the necessity of travelling by car. The new buses will have free WiFi and stops will be announced on speakers and on screen. You'll be able to see when the next bus will be arriving in real-time on your phone. No more guessing if you've missed the bus or if it's running late!

All buses will be accessible for people with disabilities and there will be more space for your wheelchair, walker, or pram. Cyclists will appreciate the bike racks on every bus too. Services will run longer until 8pm weekdays and weekend buses will be more frequent.

Trips from both Matua and Otumoetai will be shorter. Welcome Bay buses will be more frequent with more streets covered. Papamoa will have a new express bus during the morning and afternoon peaks which will have travel times similar to driving your car. There will be an additional ‘Goldline' connecting The Mount, Bayfair, retirement villages and the Papamoa Plaza.

Getting across town will be easier with a new Mount-Bayfair-CBD-Hospital loop which will run every 15 minutes. In short, the new network will have twice as many buses travelling to more places, more frequently.