The recent changes to Wellington’s previously impeccable bus services has led to city wide unrest. With service disruptions continuously upending routines, a new way of commuting is taking hold throughout the city.
The once heralded “walking school bus” has regained traction this week, and many commuters are banding together in pairs to hold hands and walk to work in lines that have reportedly reached up to 20 meters long.
This new movement is being called “revolutionary” by some and “a massive pain in the arse” by others. While the environmental and economical benefits are obvious, the disruption caused by hordes of business men holding hands down Willis Street is evident. When questioned on the necessity of the hand holding, one man was quoted saying “it may hold up some people, but the reality is, it’s still dark when I leave the house in the morning and it’s spooky to walk by myself”.
With no sign of Metlink improving its services, the walking buses are taking over the city. Some of the fitter citizens are creating “express” services where “passengers” have reportedly reached speeds of up to 5kms an hour – ten times faster than the current buses are able to run.