Wellington Rail Replacement Bus Breaks Down, Gets Replaced with Walking and Hitch-Hiking
December 31, 2022
PHOTO: Supplied to Stuff
Passengers on a rail replacement bus from Wellington to Wairarapa hitch-hiked off State Highway 2 on Saturday after their ride broke down near the summit of Remutaka Hill.
Dan Boerman was heading to his mother’s home in Wairarapa for New Year’s when the double-decker rail replacement bus he was on stopped while climbing the Remutaka Hill and didn’t move again.
“In the 10 minutes prior it had been crawling up one kph and it just completely stopped,” he said. “It was on a very, very steep bank.”
There were about 70 passengers and some got off the bus and walked up the motorway to hitch a ride from other passing cars.
“There are young women and children putting their thumbs out hitching rides and there were cars stopping on the side of the road to pick people up,” Boerman said.
“There’s some people sitting on the middle barriers waiting for a ride.