![\"Ruapehu](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4JQ8NXD_Weston_Kirton___Route_25_jpg.jpeg\")
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\nRuapehu Mayor Weston Kirton with passengers travelling to Hamilton on the Route 25 bus from Taumarunui on Thursday.
\nPhoto: LDR \/ Supplied\n<\/p>\n
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton has labelled the decision to scrap the combined Taumarunui-Hamilton Route 25 hospital shuttle\/public transport service as “simply madness”.<\/p>\n
He warns it comes at the worst possible time for communities already under pressure.<\/p>\n
“It is simply madness to remove a successful service at a time when demand is increasing, and people need affordable transport more than ever.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kirton described the move as a “kick in the guts” for Taumarunui and surrounding communities that relied on the service.<\/p>\n
Operated by BUSIT, Route 25 has functioned as a joint initiative between Te Whatu Ora Waikato and Waikato Regional Council, allowing spare seats on hospital shuttles to be used by public passengers.<\/p>\n
The service will end on 26 June, with a smaller, health-only shuttle planned to replace it.<\/p>\n
Public passengers will instead need to use InterCity bus services or make other arrangements.<\/p>\n
Kirton said while he supported improvements to hospital transport, removing the public component would have serious consequences.<\/p>\n
“This service has become much more than a health shuttle. It is a vital public transport link for Taumarunui and the communities of Te K\u016biti, \u014ctorohanga and Kihikihi.<\/p>\n
“Removing the public transport option simply does not make sense and could not have come at a worse time amid an international fuel crisis and ongoing cost of living pressures. People are already doing it tough.”<\/p>\n
Kirton said the service provided a convenient, reliable and cost-effective alternative that people rely on.<\/p>\n
“For many, driving to Hamilton is simply not affordable.”<\/p>\n
A key strength of the service was its same-day return, which Kirton said was critical for users. The InterCity service did not offer same-day return.<\/p>\n
The Route 25 service departs Taumarunui before 8am, arrives in Hamilton around 10.30am, and returns at 3pm, giving passengers about four hours in the city before arriving home by 6pm.<\/p>\n
“That same-day flexibility is critical,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Whether it’s attending appointments, shopping, visiting wh\u0101nau, or accessing services not available locally, the ability to travel to Hamilton and return the same day is hugely important.”<\/p>\n
Kirton said the InterCity alternative makes a same-day return impossible, requiring an overnight stay and adding costs many cannot afford.<\/p>\n
“At $56, a one-way adult fare on InterCity is more than double the $24 cost with a Bee Card on Route 25. Gold Card holders are free on Route 25 while they would pay $53 on InterCity. This highlights just how important this service is for affordability.”<\/p>\n
Kirton said demand for the service was rising, with Taumarunui i-SITE staff reporting Bee Card enquiries had doubled in the past month as fuel prices climb.<\/p>\n
“Rural New Zealand does not have the same access to public transport or the same ability to benefit from Gold Card schemes.<\/p>\n
Kirton also raised concerns about the capacity of the proposed replacement shuttle.<\/p>\n
“When I spoke to passengers this morning, there were already 18 hospital travellers booked, plus additional walk-ups and public transport users.<\/p>\n
“If the replacement service is a 12-seater, as suggested, it won’t even meet current hospital demand.<\/p>\n
“While some improvements or adjustments to the service may be needed, scrapping a well-used, growing inter-regional public transport link is the wrong decision.”<\/p>\n
Kirton said concerns were shared by the Waikato Regional Transport Committee, whose chair had written to Waikato Regional Council seeking answers about the planned cancellation.<\/p>\n
A Waikato Regional Council spokesperson said the move was necessary to better meet patient needs and ensure safety.<\/p>\n
He said the Route 25 Taumarunui service was introduced in 2020 as a vital link for patients travelling long distances to Waikato Hospital for specialist care.<\/p>\n
“Over time, an agreement was reached to allow members of the public to use spare seats while maintaining priority for patients. This created a combined public transport and health shuttle long-distance service,” he told Local Democracy Reporting.<\/p>\n
The service is fully funded by Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, with fares collected from public passengers via the Bee Card system returned to the health agency.<\/p>\n
Over the past two years, the organisations had each reviewed the effectiveness of the model.<\/p>\n
“Feedback from health patients, iwi and community representatives has been clear that the current 40-seat bus is not well suited to people with health needs.”<\/p>\n
Concerns were also raised about safety and the challenges of mixing general passengers with vulnerable health travellers on long-distance journeys.<\/p>\n
In response, Health NZ had decided to withdraw funding from the current combined service and move to a dedicated health shuttle service.<\/p>\n
A statement from the regional council acknowledged the impact but said alternatives were limited.<\/p>\n
“While options such as enhancing the Te K\u016biti Connector service have been explored, improvements are constrained under current funding arrangements through the New Zealand Transport Agency’s Low Cost \/ Low Risk programme for the 2024-2027 period.”<\/p>\n
The statement said it was not in a position to introduce a replacement for the discontinued service and said there was “no scope” for immediate changes to existing public transport routes.<\/p>\n
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