Environment Canterbury (ECan) will fund buses for cruise passengers, reversing a decision taken a few months ago.
Councillors voted on Wednesday to take about $200,000 from reserves to fund buses on 28 days when cruise ships will be in Lyttelton Harbour.
Many cruise ships provided return shuttles between the dock, the central city and other destinations, but charged passengers robust fees for the service. One cruise ship reportedly charged passengers A$36 (NZ$39.79) for the trips last season.
These cruise passengers “overwhelmed” public transport in Lyttelton in the 2022-23 season, ECan’s manager of public transport operations Derek Walk told councillors.
