Bus passengers asked to choose between the sound of music, or the sound of silence

Horizons, the regional council of the Manawatū-Whanganui region, is inviting people to share if they enjoy the sound of music or silence on Connect public transport services.

Horizons transport manager Mark Read said the need to create an informed approach for music played on buses had come out of conversations with users and operators.

"Some people love hearing the driver's pick of music when they get on board, while other people believe those wanting music should use headphones," he said.

"This can create difficult situations for drivers. We know some want to play music on board, but are unsure what genres are appropriate."

The survey aimed to answer three key questions:

• Do people mind music being played on buses?
• If music is played, what genres, playlists and radio stations should be played?
• Should there be different rules for music at different times of the day and/or year?

"We hope by involving the public in the process we can get a policy which truly reflects what people want," Read said.

"We are also working directly with operators to ensure drivers' opinions are captured and used to inform our approach."

The survey is open from 19 July until 2 September and available online at haveyoursay.horizons.govt.nz/busbeats.

People can also get physical surveys on board Connect services, which can be dropped into Horizons service centres or posted to Horizons once completed.

Those who fill in the survey will have the chance to win a Bee Card with $20 credit, or to have their already active Bee Card loaded with a bonus $20 credit.