Replacing AT Local and improving public transport in Takaanini and Papakura

This project is now open for feedback until Sunday 10th August 2025, click here to have your say.

About the project

AT Local (AT's on-demand rideshare service) has been running in Takaanini and Papakura since 2021. This service has been well used and enjoyed by many. However, due to increased demand it is now difficult to get a booking and satisfaction with the service has been dropping.

What we are proposing

We want to make sure that people can get to where they need to be, and so we are replacing AT Local with a new bus service (the 364) in April 2026. This change will make public transport more available, easier to use, and quicker for more people in your area, especially as the local population continues to grow.

The new 364 bus service would run in both directions between Papakura Station and Manurewa Station, connecting with Awakeri Wetlands, Takaanini Town Centre, Takaanini Station, Conifer Grove, Waiata Shores and Te Mahia Station. The proposed route is based on where AT Local customers are currently travelling to and from, so you’ll still be able to make many of your existing trips.

There are two options for how the 364 would serve Conifer Grove:

Option 1: The bus would use Walter Strevens Drive to do a clockwise loop around Conifer Grove. This would mean the bus would run within easy walking distance of where more people live, as well as the Conifer Grove shops and primary school.

Option 2: The bus would turn directly into and out of Brylee Drive – the bus would not do a loop around Conifer Grove. Customers not getting on or off in Conifer Grove would have a quicker journey, but Conifer Grove customers would have a longer walk to access the service.

Click on this link to see a map of the two options for the 364 bus route.

We are also proposing to change part of the existing 365 bus route to serve Porchester Road and Airfield Road, instead of Kauri Heart Avenue as it does today. This change would help customers who are currently using AT Local to travel to and from the area between Bruce Pullman Park and Airfield Road. If we made this change to the 365 route, Kauri Heart Avenue would be served by the new 364 bus route instead.

Click on this link to see a map of the 365 bus route.

Why are we proposing it

We provide AT Local services in areas where the population isn’t yet large enough to justify a conventional public transport service, like a bus. Since AT Local started running in Takaanini and Papakura, the local population has grown significantly (from census counts around 10,000 people moved into the area between 2018 and 2023) and more people are now trying to use AT Local than the service can take. Since mid-2022, only 20-40 per cent of attempts to book AT Local have resulted in the customer actually using the service.

We’ve made a number of changes to the way AT Local runs in Takaanini and Papakura to increase the number of customers it can take. However, after each change, the extra spaces on AT Local were quickly taken by new customers. We’ve also heard that using AT Local is difficult for people with wheelchairs, limited mobility, shopping, luggage or prams. As demand for AT Local continues to grow, adding more vehicles and drivers is not a practical long-term solution.

Download AT Local: Alternative Public Transport Solutions Evaluation Report to find out more about the service changes we made, and the alternatives we considered before deciding to replace AT Local with a bus service.

It is now appropriate to replace AT Local with a bus service that can take more people and is more accessible.

More information about when we provide AT Local services can be found in AT’s On-Demand and Shared Mobility Roadmap.

Benefits of the proposal

The 364 bus service will address many of the issues that customers have raised with AT Local. In addition to not requiring you to make a booking, the new bus service will:

• Have more room for more people
• Use the same bus stops and follow the same route every trip
• Have regular timetables and journey times
• Be more accessible for more people
• Take pets as per AT’s policy regarding pets on buses and trains

New bus stops and pedestrian crossing facilities

We will need to install new bus stops and pedestrian crossing facilities along the proposed 364 route and the new part of the 365 route. Click this link to see a map of the proposed locations.

More detailed information about each new bus stop and pedestrian crossing facility, including drawings, will be added to this webpage the week commencing Monday 14 July 2025.

The crossing facilities will be pedestrian refuge islands. These are small, raised areas in the middle of a road which pedestrians can use to cross the road in two stages.

What we want your feedback on

We have some ideas on how the new 364 service will run in your area, but would like to know what you think about:

• the route the bus will take
• the hours the buses will run and how frequent they will be
• locations of the bus stops and pedestrian crossing facilities.

We’d also like to know what you think about the proposed change for part of the existing 365 bus route.

How you can have your say

Have your say by completing this online feedback form, or using the pre-paid form included in the paper brochure. Feedback is open until Sunday 10th August 2025.

You can also speak one-on-one with members of the project team at the following drop-in sessions:

• Tuesday 22 July: Takaanini Station, 3pm – 6pm
• Wednesday 23 July: Papakura Station, 3pm – 6pm
• Thursday 24 July: Sir Edmund Hillary Library, Papakura, 10am – 12noon
• Saturday 26 July: Takaanini Library and Community Hub, 11am – 2pm

What happens next

• Sunday 10 August 2025 – Public feedback closes
• October 2025 – Confirm the 364 bus route, running hours and frequency, and the 365 bus route. Confirm the locations of new bus stops and pedestrian crossing facilities
• April 2026 – 364 bus service replaces AT Local and any changes to the 365 route are made