to the restrictions placed on other forms of motorised transport. By the late 1940s, the growth of the Christchurch urban and suburban areas, along with increased rates of car ownership meant that the trams were no longer the best mode for public transport. In a process lasting from 1947 to 1951, the Christchurch Transport Board made a series of decisions to phase out the trams, and replace them with diesel-powered buses. Buses The transition away from trams proceeded apace in 1951 when the Christchurch Tramway Board ordered 57 diesel buses, with their routes following that of the former tram and trolley bus network. The Christchurch-New Brighton line was closed down on 18 October 1952. The 5 Brighton bus route, following the same route along Pages Road, commenced the same day. The use of buses allowed other routes to be incorporated into public transport network; these included 5A Aldwins Road, 5B Breezes Road, and 5S South Brighton. The 10 Marshland Road and Richmond bus service, which fed into the North Beach route, commenced on 31 May 1956. The 19 North Beach bus service, which followed what had been the North Beach tram, and then trolley bus, route, commenced on 8 November 1956. In 1984, two new services, the 30 & 31 Seaside Specials were started to bring people from the southern and northern suburbs, respectively, to New Brighton on Saturdays for shopping. With the introduction of weekend trading, the demand for these services wained, and the buses were discontinued. In 2022, New Brighton is serviced by the following bus routes, all operated under the Metro brand: Christchurch earthquakes aftermath Due in part to the ground on which it was built, the consequences for New Brighton of the 2011 earthquake did not only relate to building damage. In December 2012 residents held a protest against the perceived slow progress of rebuilding in the area following the region's damaging earthquakes, in which 80 people bared their bottoms. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said he wasn't offended, but the residents were "wrong". These feelings of neglect by the Christchurch City Council would continue to persist. The People's Independent Republic of New Brighton was formed by Paul Zaaman, a New Brighton businesses and landowners association spokesperson, in order to protest a perceived lack of investment by the Christchurch City Council into New Brighton. New Brighton was named to be the host of the finish of the