Long ‘bendy’ buses are still on the cards for the number 2 bus route that goes through Mt Victoria, following a trial conducted last year.

Metlink borrowed an articulated bus from Auckland Transport to see if how the long bus performed on the route that stretches from Miramar to Karori.

The trial was conducted late in the evenings to avoid disrupting timetabled services and traffic flow, Metlink group manager Samantha Gain said. Passengers were not able to board the bus.

“In general, the articulated bus performed well on the route, but we identified infrastructure changes, including to some bus stops and curbs, that would be necessary to introduce the bus type.

“Metlink continues to work with the roading authority, Wellington City Council, to understand route infrastructure requirements to run electrical articulated buses on Route 2,” Gain said.

Metlink was also working on building an understanding of the procurement and operational requirements for electrical articulated buses before committing to introducing them.

“Feedback will be sought from the Route 2 bus operator, as well as from disability and cycling groups before Greater Wellington commits to articulated buses.”

The number 2 route was the busiest route in the whole Metlink bus network and annual trips on the route were expected to double in next ten years from 3 million to 6 million, according to Greater Wellington Transport Committee chair Thomas Nash.

“So we really need to add capacity on the route with vehicles that can carry more people. Double deckers can’t run on this route because they don’t fit through the Karori tunnel so articulated buses are the only viable option.”