The number and frequency of buses on the roads of Canterbury could change should fuel costs remain high. Environment Canterbury is set to discuss the impact of diesel and petrol at a council meeting on Wednesday [May 13]. In a report prepared for the meeting, ECan staff said there had been a noticeable increase in demand for public transport in the last two months A four percent increase in bus patronage was reported during March, compared to the same month last year. Rising fuel costs and increased patronage were able to be managed in the short term as the council had established public transport reserves to manage the risk of economic shocks, staff said. It left the council ‘‘well positioned’’ for the next 12 months, but there were several options available to manage any challenges which arose. These included more buses on the road and increasing the frequency of buses, or reducing fuel consumption with a targeted reduction in operating hours.…