Taranaki Regional Council's trying to take some of the stress out of Christmas shopping for locals

It's putting extra buses on for the next three Saturdays to take people from outlying areas like Bell Block and Waitara into New Plymouth.

Transport Services Manager, Chris Clarke, says it's an opportunity to tackle Christmas shopping without traffic and parking hassles - and if you've never given the buses a go, this might be the time to try.

He says it's part of the Council's focus on improving lifestyles and if the initiative is well-supported, they'll do it again.