Terms and conditions of service

1. By making a booking with Rural Bus Manawatu, customers agree to and are bound by these terms and conditions.

• These terms and conditions form the basis of our contract with you if you travel with us.
• These terms and conditions may change from time to time. Go to ruralbusmanawatu.org.nz for the current version.
• Rural Bus Manawatu staff are required to ensure that these terms and conditions are adhered to and where relevant may exercise discretion in ensuring that these terms and conditions are complied with on our behalf.
• We take our obligations under relevant consumer laws seriously and strive to meet the guarantees applicable to our services under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.
• These guarantees are that the transport service you receive will be carried out with reasonable care and skill and will be reasonably fit for its purpose. Nothing in these conditions affects any of our obligations or your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.

2. Bookings and payments

• Booking requests must be made at least 24 hours in advance of your preferred date of travel, via our website or by phone.
• A method of payment must be provided at the time of making a booking request.
• Bookings are confirmed on first-come first-served basis, according to driver availability and route compatibility with existing bookings.
• You will be notified within 24 hours of making your booking request, if your booking has been confirmed.
• If your booking request cannot be accommodated on your preferred date of travel, your will be contacted within 24 hours to arrange an alternative date.
• Rural Bus Manawatu provides no guarantee that bookings will be confirmed on preferred day of travel.
• Rural Bus Manawatu reserves the right to decline booking requests due to driver unavailability or route incompatibility with existing bookings.
• Payment will only be processed at the time of booking confirmation. If your booking request is declined, you will not be charged.
• Bookings can be amended at any time by contacting Rural Bus Manawatu. Amendments can’t be guaranteed and will be based on availability. If your booking change can’t be amended, you will be able to transfer your booking to another day.

3. Fares and fare zones

• Rural Bus Manawatu zones and corresponding return fares are as follows:
  • Zone 1 – $10
  • Zone 2 – $25
  • Zone 3 – $30
• All fares are for return travel. If a passenger only needs transport one way for some reason, the fare will be the same.
• Fare prices and fare zone boundaries are determined by Rural Bus Manawatu and are subject to change.
• Fare zones are determined according to approximate distance between pick-up address and Feilding town centre, by the most direct driving route.
• Feilding town centre is defined by Rural Bus Manawatu as the area within the following streets: Warwick Street, Gladstone St, Denbigh St, and Grey St.
• Up to four passengers may book from the same pick-up address and pay only one fare. The number of passengers must be advised when the booking request is made.
• Rural Bus Manawatu is not able to facilitate splitting shared fares. The passenger making the booking request is required to make payment at the time of booking and arrange for reimbursement from their group independently.

4. Cancellation and refunds

• Passengers may cancel their booking at any time.
• Bookings cancelled by passengers before 5pm on the day prior to travel, are not eligible for refund but may be transferred to another date or the fare held in credit.
• Bookings cancelled by passengers after 5pm on the day prior to travel, are not eligible for refund or transfer.
• Booking requests cancelled before the booking is confirmed will not be charged.
• Rural Bus Manawatu may cancel a passenger’s booking at any time.
• Bookings cancelled by Rural Bus Manawatu will be eligible for transfer to another date, the fare to be held in credit, or for a full refund, based on what the passenger prefers.
• Bookings eligible for transfer or fares to be held in credit may be transferred to another passenger or credited towards a more expensive fare.

5. Passenger pick-up

• Rural Bus Manawatu endeavours to pick up passengers between 8am and 10am on their day of travel.
• Pick-up times will vary based on the addresses of confirmed bookings each day, and the route as determined by Rural Bus Manawatu.
• Passengers will be advised of a pick-up time when their booking is confirmed and are required to be ready for pick-up at this time.
• Pick-up time is subject to change, depending on subsequent bookings and route adjustments.
• Passengers will be advised of any changes to their pick-up time not later than 8am on the day of travel.
• If the service arrives ahead of schedule, the driver will wait until the designated pick-up time or until the passenger is ready to depart – whichever is soonest.
• If a passenger is not ready to depart at the designated pick-up time, the service may wait not more than five minutes for the passenger, at the driver’s discretion.
• Passengers will be notified by the driver, by phone, prior to being left behind.
• If the passenger cannot be reached by phone, the driver reserves the right to depart at any time.

6. Travel time, drop-off, and transfers within Feilding

• Travel time will vary depending on the number of bookings and pick-up locations.
• Rural Bus Manawatu will endeavour to arrive in Feilding at a pre-determined time, for pre-scheduled appointments, upon request.
• Pre-scheduled appointments must be advised at the time of booking.
• Rural Bus Manawatu will drop passengers to their preferred location within Feilding and will endeavour to provide transfers for passengers between locations within Feilding as requested.
• Rural Bus Manawatu makes no guarantee to accommodate all passengers’ transfer requests, due to logistical limitations.
• Priority for transfers will be given to passengers with mobility limitations or other disabilities.
• Passengers who have completed their desired errands will be transferred to the Manawatu Community Hub until departure from Feilding.

7. Departure from Feilding and return trip

• Rural Bus Manawatu will depart Feilding for the return trip after all passengers have completed their desired errands appointments, but not later than 4pm.

8. Health and safety

• Passengers must always wear their seat belt.
• Passengers must always follow directions of the driver, including to switch seats with another passenger if requested.
• Rural Bus Manawatu may refuse you entry to, or require you to leave, our bus at any time for health and safety reasons.
• Doors of the bus may not be opened by passengers without express permission from the driver, except in an emergency.
• You must not carry onto our bus, or pack in any luggage, any dangerous articles, including but not limited to weapons, compression gases, corrosives, explosives, flammable liquids and solids, radioactive materials, oxidising materials, poisons and infectious substances.

9. Bus rules

• Wilful damage to the bus will be repaired at the passenger’s expense.
• No food or drinks are to be consumed inside the bus, except for water from a drink bottle with a secure lid.
• No rubbish is to be left on the bus.
• Passengers are to be kind and courteous to other passengers.
• Only play music using headphones, and at a volume that does not disturb other passengers.
• The following activities or behaviours are not allowed on Rural Bus Manawatu:
  • Distracting or obstructing the driver
  • Interfering with any equipment on the bus
  • Using emergency equipment or emergency exits, except in an emergency
  • Putting feet or footwear on the seats
  • Using offensive language
  • Smoking or using e-cigarettes (or other similar “vaping” devices)
  • Carrying any weapon or any noxious or illegal substance
  • Damaging, soiling, littering or misusing any part of the bus
  • Throwing anything in or out from the bus
  • Doing anything illegal
  • Distributing anything, offering anything for sale or collecting for charity
  • Doing anything which endangers or causes discomfort or offence to any other person.

10. Carriage of passenger belongings

• All passengers’ belongings must be transported in the luggage trailer or rear compartment, except for personal bags, e.g. handbags, which may be carried inside the bus by the passenger.
• Additional belongings may be transported inside the bus at the discretion of the driver, and only if considered safe and unobstructive to other passengers.
• Mobility aids which are transported in the luggage trailer will be handled with care by the driver and will be returned to the passenger before they disembark, as needed.
• A chilli bin is provided for the transport of any cold items purchased in Feilding.

11. Carriage of children and passenger restraints

• Children under the age of 14 may only travel on Rural Bus Manawatu when accompanied by a person aged 14 years or older for the entire trip.
• Rural Bus Manawatu accepts no responsibility for the supervision and care of any children passengers at any time.
• Passengers less than 148cm tall may only travel with the appropriate restraint for their height, such as a booster seat.
• Restraints for passengers less than 148cm tall must be provided and administered by their accompanying passenger.
• Passenger restraints must comply with New Zealand law.
• Rural Bus Manawatu reserves the right to refuse carriage of a passenger less than 148cm tall if they are not properly restrained in a car seat that’s appropriate for their height, at the driver’s discretion.
• Children under the age of 14 must be notified to Rural Bus Manawatu at the time of booking.

12.  Travelling with animals

• You may travel on our bus with your certified disability assist dog (as defined in the Dog Control Act 1996).
• Disability assist dogs must travel on the floor of the bus and not on your lap or on a seat.
• Domestic pets are allowed to travel on our bus if they are enclosed in a suitable pet carrier.
• Pet carriers for domestic pets must fit on the passenger’s lap.
• Passengers travelling with domestic pets are responsible for those pets, must keep their pets under control while on our bus, and are responsible for any damage or mess caused by their pet.
• Passengers travelling with any animal must advise Rural Bus Manawatu at the time of booking.

13.  Providing feedback

• We welcome queries, suggestions, complaints, compliments and other feedback as they help us to improve our service and to put things right when they have gone wrong.
• If you have any queries, suggestions, complaints, or other feedback you can contact us in any of the following ways:
  • through our website ruralbusmanawatu.org.nz
  • by email to info@ruralbusmanawatu.org.nz
  • by email or phone to our Chairperson aly@ruralbusmanawatu.org.nz 027 259 1044
• In the case of complaints, Rural Bus Manawatu will endeavour to reach a resolution with your directly.
• If a resolution cannot be reached, Rural Bus Manawatu may seek formal advice or support from a third party. Your personal information may be passed on to the third party, for the purposes of finding a resolution, but we will seek your consent beforehand.

14.  Our liability for loss or damage

• Under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017, we may be liable for loss or damage to your property that you travel with on our services that results from intentional conduct or the gross negligence of our employees.
• Other than as described in paragraph 14.1, we are not liable to you:
  • For any losses, damage, costs, distress or inconvenience suffered by you or any other person, or loss or damage to any property
  • For any losses, damages, costs, distress or inconvenience if we refuse to allow you to travel
  • For any losses, damages, costs, distress or inconvenience as a result of a service disruption