Christchurch retirement village residents have won a compromise from the Canterbury Regional Council in a battle over a bus route.
Graham Tate and other rest home residents have won a reprieve from the regional council over their local bus service. Photo: RNZ / Alex Harmer
In March residents from the Diana Isaac Retirement Village in Mairehau protested outside the council's office and handed over a 600 signature petition in a bid to stop the council relocating a bus route away from their home.
The bus currently stops right next to the village driveway, but was set to move a kilometre away.
Today, the council announced it would detour a different bus route so that it stops 150 metres away from the retirement home.
One of the protest organisers, Graham Tate, said it was a great victory.
He said it would make a huge difference. "It's so important for old people to get out of this community of 600 people and see what is happening outside. It's good for their health and good for their self being and good for the community too."
Canterbury Regional Council chair Steve Lowndes said the response when the new proposal was presented to the retirement village meeting was terrific.
He said the council has taken the group's concerns very seriously and tried hard to find alternatives which were then workshopped with the residents.
"So this final proposal, which we presented this afternoon, was well considered and really well received. It is very gratifying to think that a problem has been happily resolved."
The proposal is to extend route 44 so that it has a stop on Philpotts Road, and extend its hours to accommodate staff working at the Diana Isaac Retirement Village.
Mr Lowndes said this would add minor extra costs, but they were manageable.
The council said other affected residents would be consulted before the changes are finalised.
