Palmerston North and Ashhurst Public Transport Improvements

⁠⁠⁠In mid 2022 Horizons Regional Council will be going to market to find a supplier to operate a new bus network in Palmerston North and Ashhurst.

In 2021 Horizons completed a review of its Palmerston North and Ashhurst bus service in which a new network was developed. The new network is a complete rethink of public transport in the city, offering more direct services, greater frequency and an increased operational span.

In order to build on the work done during the review Horizons is looking to work with potential operators to further improve on the new network. To do this we are proposing to use a competitive dialogue approach with a multi stage assessment for procurement. Our intention for undertaking this approach is ensure we can draw on the expertise of the market in delivering a high quality service for our community. We are wanting to get feedback on our proposed approach for tendering and on the proposed network.

The feedback received from suppliers during the RFI will be taken into consideration when Horizons develops it RFT documentation.