15,000 To Bus To RWC North Harbour

in Bus RWC 2011 by Jon C — September 30, 2010 at 10:01 pm | 3 comments

With no North Shore trains, how will rugby fans attending North Harbour RWC 2011 games get there easily?

The North Harbour Stadium Transport Plan was released today and the plan also focuses on making public transport the most convenient way to get to RWC 2011 matches.

But unlike Eden Park and the trains to Kingsland, this time it’s about catching a bus - a free one.

30,000 fans is the number expected for North Harbour Stadium during the RWC and the plan wants half of those to travel by bus.

That’s 15,000 people on buses.

Special event buses will be free for all ticket holders.

Free bus services will operate from Midtown, Downtown, North Shore via Takapuna, Henderson via Westgate, Orewa, Manukau, Botany and Pakuranga.

Parking around North Harbour Stadium will be restricted and there will be a number of roads closed near the venue to manage traffic on match nights.

Auckland RWC 2011 Transport Director Bruce Barnard says that if fans embrace the free buses, ” there’ll also be long-term benefits such as reducing carbon emissions and changing people’s attitude to public transport.”

The plan says those who still intend to drive, need to use one of the four Park and Ride options that will be available at Smales Farm, Westgate Shopping Centre, Takapuna and the Bush Road industrial estate.

North Harbour Stadium will be hosting three RWC 2011 matches:

• France v Japan (6pm, 10 September)
• South Africa v Namibia (8pm, 22 September)
• South Africa v Samoa (8.30pm, 30 September).

Fans can apply for tickets for all three matches.  Applications close Friday, 8 October and this phase is the last opportunity for fans to enter the ballot for tickets to the semi-finals and finals

Tags: North harbour Northern Express Park and Ride public transport rugby RWC 2011 RWC2011 Smailes Farm