Aranui’s new trial bus service will connect the community to New Brighton and The Palms Shopping Centre.

The new service will run hourly between New Brighton and The Palms, following strong feedback from the community.

More than 870 submissions were received during a two week consultation on the trial route’s destination.

The Palms was the preferred option, with 64 percent of respondents voting for it as the destination.

In March, Environment Canterbury voted unanimously in favour of the trial service, after continued advocacy from the Aranui community.

Of the respondents, 651 said they would use the service to access shops, 455 said they would use it to connect to other buses, 357 said it would provide a closer and more convenient option, and 245 said they would use it for health appointments.

Education, work and other specific needs were also identified as reasons for using the service.

Customers will be able to connect from The Palms to other services, including the Orbiter to Eastgate Mall, which was the other destination many people were keen to reach.

Environment Canterbury chair Deon Swiggs said the new service was a strong example of community advocacy in action.

“A community has spoken. They asked us to find a solution. We have been able to respond and found a solution, and it is a really good outcome,” Swiggs said.

“This is a great piece of community advocacy. The community identified a need, and we have been able to work with them to deliver a practical solution that will help connect people to key services, shops and public transport links.”

Environment Canterbury staff are working with Christchurch City Council and Kinetic to finalise details for the new service, including its timetable and planned stops.

The 12 month trial service will begin later this year.