Jim Bunny column last week (The Weekend Sun, November 4), talked all about the trouble of taking public transport – and public reluctance to take up the task.

I'd like to make an observation – us ruralites don't have as much access to public transport and city-dwellers, in my opinion at least.

I live in Whakamarama and drive into Greerton six days a week for work – typically on my own – and I would love to be able to catch a bus.

But, things come unstuck when it comes to getting to a bus stop. I can't walk to one, and there's nobody to drive me to one consistently. What I need is somewhere to park my car all day, really.

So why are there no ‘park and ride' facilities like there are in Auckland? I lived rurally when I was studying in Auckland and used the Albany park and ride at least four days a week to park my car and catch the bus into town.

We seem to be spending a lot of time and effort encouraging people to get on buses without really looking at some of the reasons people can't take buses.

Food for thought?

F McGrath, Whakamarama.