Hikurangi Shuttle Service

Hikurangi Friendship House Charitable Trust has teamed up with the Northland Regional Council and identified a gap in the public transport system between Hikurangi and Whangarei. As a result an agreement was reached where the Northland Regional Council agreed to partially fund the purchase and operational expenses of a community owned shuttle that supports Hikurangi residents to access basic supplies and services in Whangarei, outside of the days the public bus operates between Hikurangi and Whangarei.

As a result the Northland Regional Council provided $20,000 towards the purchase of a suitable van, and with lots of community support and generous donations from other sponsors including Fonterra and Golden Bay Cement, Friendship House was able to raise a further $20,000 to purchase the van in 2023.

The Shuttle operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for residents to book for trips to town to access food supplies, medical needs, or other important services or appointments. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the shuttle is able to operate for group benefit, particularly for local community groups or clubs. The weekends are also able to be utilised for community groups or clubs to hire the shuttle.

There are some rules around the use of the shuttle, including:
All individual trips are conducted on a koha basis;
All drivers are to hold a full drivers licence and be Police vet checked;
All groups hiring the van outside of it's weekday operational hours are to be local groups travelling within a certain amount of kms, and hire fees will be set dependent on distance travelled;
All drivers, whether driving for individuals or groups, must be registered with Friendship House as a driver;
The van is fitted with a tracking gps system and can be monitored live at any time;
The shuttle cannot be hired for private use by any individual.

Northland Regional Council continues to contribute $10,000 per year for operational expenses for the van. All other income raised goes towards operational costs including fuel and RUCS etc. Some local businesses sponsor other aspects of the van including warrant of fitness and servicing etc, a big thanks to Auto Focus and Automotive Solutions Kauri for their ongoing contribution and support of this community service.

The shuttle is based at the Hikurangi Community Library and is under full time surveillance. Bookings for the shuttle can be made via Friendship House email or phone, 09 4338 452 or friendship@hikurangi.co.nz.