We’re excited to bring you a new and improved Taranaki bus network - Te Pahi Taranaki.

This is a network designed for the people, by the people - it reflects what you told us you needed, while acknowledging we could not afford to do it all right now.

We're also looking forward to launching our modern new website in early April. This will include a handy journey planner and real-time bus tracking - so you'll never miss a bus again!

These changes represent a significant step toward a better public transport system for Taranaki. As funding allows, we will implement other high priority changes you asked for.

What's changing?

From 7 April say hello to:

• A streamlined urban New Plymouth network: more direct, faster and efficient routes.
• Improved Base Hospital access (Westown/Hurdon via Tukapa and David Streets).
• Highlands Park and Merrilands now serviced to support growing areas.
• New Saturday services: a New Plymouth city orbiter running clockwise and anticlockwise, a Waitara–Bell Block service and a Hāwera–New Plymouth service.
• Fleet upgrade to electric buses underway, aligned with zero-emission future by 2035.
• New bus stops in Omata, extending coverage.
• New Waitara morning commuter and school loop – helping commuters get to Waitara town centre and connecting buses, and students to Waitara schools.
• A South Taranaki fare zone change for some users of the Hāwera-Pātea service. The trip from Hāwera to Pātea may incur a two-zone fare (depending on where you live in relation to the zone boundary), rather than a single zone fare.

Better bus travel for all also means we have to say goodbye to some services that weren't well used. From 7 April:

• Commuter services have been re-focused to where demand is greatest including:
• Removal of under-utilised 7am trips servicing Lynmouth, Vogeltown, Fitzroy/Glen Avon and Westown. Well-used 7am services servicing Moturoa, Whalers Gate, Frankleigh Park and a hybrid of the 7am Welbourn/Highlands Park/Merrilands remain.
• All Monday to Wednesday trips at 6.20pm will be removed. Thursday and Friday 6.20pm trips remain.

Regional services re-focused to where demand is greatest:

• Ōpunake–New Plymouth midday trips reduced from five days to two days a week.
• The Hāwera-Waverley route becomes Hāwera-Pātea and moves from two days per week to one day a week.
• Kaponga is no longer serviced due to very low passenger numbers over a long period of time.

Check out the routes for full details about what’s changing in your area. Bus stop locations for all urban services are subject to confirmation and maps may not show all stops.

New Plymouth urban services

• 1 - Moturoa 
• 2 - Whalers Gate
• 3 - Lynmouth - Marfell 
• 4 - Westown - Hurdon
• 5 - Frankleigh Park
• 6 - Vogeltown - Brooklands 
• 7 - Welbourn - Highlands Park 
• 7-8 Hybrid - Welbourn / Highlands Park / Merrilands (Weekdays 7am)
• 8 - Merrilands 
• 9 - Fitzroy - The Valley - Glen Avon 
• 10a & 10b – Saturday city orbiter (clockwise and anticlockwise)
• 11 - Waitara - Bell Block (Saturday) 
• 18 - Waitara morning loop
• 19 - Waitara Express 
• 20 - Waitara  - Bell Block - New Plymouth

Regional services

• 101 - Hāwera to New Plymouth (weekday and Saturday service)
• 102 - Ōpunake to Hāwera
• 103 - Pātea to Hāwera
• 106 - Ōpunake to New Plymouth

School services

Updates to school bus services were rolled out in January to coincide with the start of the new school year.

No more guessing which bus to get on or when the bus will arrive

From 7 April, not only is the network more streamlined, but we’ve got real-time bus tracking and a journey planner.

Right now, we’re putting the finishing touches on a new website to support better bus travel and it’ll be live in early April. You’ll be able to track where your bus is and use our new journey planner to help you get where you’re going more easily.

Te Pahi Taranaki is the new name for our region’s bus service.

Currently buses operate under several names including Connector, Your Connector, South Link, City Link and others. Bringing these together under a single umbrella is less confusing for bus users and the public and is easier for us operationally, as it allows us to do things like easily move buses from one route to another without causing passenger confusion.

We’re excited about the new name that you helped us come up with. We’ll share more about how it came about and what it means on our new website which will be live in early April.

Why are things changing?

We’re changing because the existing bus service was no longer meeting our community’s needs.

The change is bigger than just new routes and timetables: we’re refreshing the whole bus experience including a new website with better tools to plan your trip, and real-time tracking which will make your bus journey smoother from start to finish.

We’re also rolling out new e-buses and refreshing the bus brand (hello, Te Pahi Taranaki) to build a strong foundation for future development and growth.