About Rural Bus Rural Bus Manawatū

Rural Bus Manawatū was born from a conversation over the fence in 2019 between neighbours, June Barrett and Jane Renwick in Āpiti. Concerned about access to healthcare and services for rural residents, particularly the elderly, they undertook initial research, presenting their findings to Manawatū District Council in September 2020 and starting the call for a transport solution in the district.

In 2021 June and Jane connected with Aly Thompson, then-General Manager of Neighbourhood Support Manawatū. Together they established a steering committee to drive the project forward. Comprehensive market research was undertaken to quantify the need for a service and the use cases, to inform a proposal of how the service would operate. The research findings and initial service proposal were published in April 2022.

In July 2022 the steering committee made a submission to Horizons Reginal Public Transport Plan 2022-23, seeking a high priority for a service to be established in Manawatū. This submission was successful, and work began to establish the service.

Grant funding for establishment costs was secured in early 2023, but then the service hit a road-bump as global manufacture and supply of 12-seater Ford Transit vans had ground to a halt and there were none available anywhere! We turned to the second-hand market but increased demand had seen prices sky-rocket. It was looking dire, but we kept the faith and thanks to the support and dedication from Courtesy Ford Feilding Branch Manager Evan Tull, a van was eventually secured towards the end of 2023.

The van was shipped to New Zealand, taking several months and multiple detours, eventually arriving in May 2024.

After five years of hard work, our service launched in July 2024.

In 2021 June and Jane connected with Aly Thompson, then-General Manager of Neighbourhood Support Manawatū. Together they established a steering committee to drive the project forward. Comprehensive market research was undertaken to quantify the need for a service and the use cases, to inform a proposal of how the service would operate. The research findings and initial service proposal were published in April 2022.

In July 2022 the steering committee made a submission to Horizons Reginal Public Transport Plan 2022-23, seeking a high priority for a service to be established in Manawatū. This submission was successful, and work began to establish the service.

Grant funding for establishment costs was secured in early 2023, but then the service hit a road-bump as global manufacture and supply of 12-seater Ford Transit vans had ground to a halt and there were none available anywhere! We turned to the second-hand market but increased demand had seen prices sky-rocket. It was looking dire, but we kept the faith and thanks to the support and dedication from Courtesy Ford Feilding Branch Manager Evan Tull, a van was eventually secured towards the end of 2023.

The van was shipped to New Zealand, taking several months and multiple detours, eventually arriving in May 2024.

After five years of hard work, our service launched in July 2024.