Public transport in the Otago Region
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Parent | Otago Regional Council |
---|---|
Founded | 1986 |
Locale | New Zealand |
Service area | Dunedin, Queenstown |
Service type | Bus |
Routes | 20 in Dunedin, 6 in Queenstown |
Hubs | Dunedin Bus Hub, Great King St; Frankton bus hub, Queenstown |
Daily ridership | 10,919 (Dunedin, July-December 2023) 6,067 (Queenstown, July-December 2023) [1] |
Fuel type | Diesel, battery electricity |
Operator | Go Bus Transport, Ritchies Transport |
Website | Dunedin Buses |
The public transport system of Otago centres around the cities of Dunedin and Queenstown, under the brand name Orbus. Public transport in the region is provided using buses and ferries. Despite sharing a name, the systems in Dunedin and Queenstown are isolated from one another.
The
Bus fares in both cities are paid for by cash or by the
Buses in Otago carried 4,050,282 passengers per year from 2022 to 2023.[5]
Dunedin bus routes
Most routes are cross-city routes via the Dunedin city centre. Longer-distance routes terminate in the centre. Semi-orbital route 15 Ridge Runner links most inner suburbs but avoids the centre. The Mosgiel 77 semi-express service has a branch route 70 connecting at Green Island and a figure-8-shaped 80/81 Mosgiel Loop connecting on Mosgiel's main street, Gordon Rd. Transferring between routes, historically not a feature of Dunedin bus services, is more favourable under the current fare regime.
Route number (or destination number)[note 2] | Outer terminus | via | City bus hub stops (northbound/southbound) | via | Outer terminus | Bus operator | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Palmerston | Waikouaiti, Karitane, Waitati, Dunedin-Waitati Highway | J | – | – | Ritchies | |
3 | Ross Creek | Glenleith, George Street | C/H | South Dunedin, Tainui | Ocean Grove | Go Bus | |
5/6 | Pine Hill |
Gardens , George Street |
E/J | Caversham | Lookout Point |
Ritchies | |
8 | Normanby | Gardens, George Street | D/I | Cargill's Corner , South Dunedin |
St Clair | Go Bus | |
10/11 | Opoho | Gardens, George Street | E/J | South Dunedin, Musselburgh | Shiel Hill | Ritchies | |
14 | Port Chalmers (Harrington Street) | Careys Bay, Port Chalmers, Sawyers Bay, Roseneath, St Leonards, Burkes, Ravensbourne, Logan Park, University | B | – | - | Ritchies | |
15 "Ridge Rider" (semi-orbital route) | University (Forth St) | Gardens, Roslyn, Mornington , |
– | – | South Dunedin (Andersons Bay Rd) | Ritchies | |
18 | Portobello | Edwards Bay, Turnbulls Bay, Broad Bay, Company Bay, Macandrew Bay, The Cove, Exchange | G | – | – | Ritchies | |
19 | Waverley |
Musselburgh, South Dunedin, Exchange | A/I | City Rise | Belleknowes |
Go Bus | |
33 | Corstorphine | Caversham, Cargill's Corner | C/H | City Rise, Roslyn, Kaikorai | Wakari | Go Bus | |
37/38 | Concord (38) |
Kenmure, Bradford, Kaikorai, Moana Pool | G/A | Otago Museum |
University (Forth St) (37) | Ritchies | |
44 | St Kilda |
Cargill's Corner, Exchange | D/I | Kaikorai | Halfway Bush, New Zealand | Go Bus | |
50 | Helensburgh | Balmacewen, Maori Hill, City Rise | C/H | Cargill's Corner, Kew , St Clair Park |
Corstorphine | Go Bus | |
55 | St Kilda |
Cargill's Corner, Exchange | D/I | Kaikorai | Brockville | Go Bus | |
61 | Kenmure | Mornington, Exchange | C | – | – | Go Bus | |
63 | Balaclava | Mornington, Exchange | A/F | Otago Museum, University | Logan Park | Ritchies | |
70 | Brighton | Ocean View, Waldronville, Abbotsford |
– | – | Green Island (transfer to/from route '77) | Go Bus | |
77 (semi-express) | Mosgiel Centre Street |
Gordon Rd, Sunnyvale, Green Island (transfer to/from route 70), Dunedin Southern Motorway , Exchange |
F | – | – | Go Bus | |
78 (express) | Mosgiel terminus |
Gordon Rd Dunedin Southern Motorway | F | – | – | Go Bus | |
80 | – | Mosgiel Loop east circuit | – | – | – | Go Bus | |
81 | – | Mosgiel Loop west circuit | – | – | – | Go Bus |
Fares
Fares in Dunedin and Queenstown are paid with either cash or a fare card called the Bee Card. In both cities, cash fares are more expensive than Bee; $4 in Queenstown and $3 in Dunedin. Additionally, fare concessions (reduced fare prices) only apply to Bee cards. All fares in both cities are flat fares, and transfers are free.[6]
Bee cards were introduced to Otago buses in September 2020,[7] and to Queenstown Ferries in 26 October 2022[8] following other regional councils who agreed to use it. Bee ended zone-based fares in Dunedin, after consultations with the public.[9][10] Queenstown already had flat fares before Bee.[11]
Prior to the Bee Card, Dunedin used GoCards for fare payment.[12]
In the future, the National Ticketing Solution is supposed to replace the Bee card in Otago by 2026, as well as all other fare cards in New Zealand.[13]
Organising bus routes in Dunedin
Dunedin's bus network is designed and managed by the
History of public transport in Otago
The Dunedin City Council operated and managed most public transport until 1986 including the
Citibus would go on to be privatised in 2011, after Dunedin City Council voted to sell it, with the mayor at the time summarising by saying that it was "hemorrhaging money". There was concern by some critics, like Labour MP Clare Curran, that this move would worsen driver working conditions.[18][19]
In early times, there were
Former privately owned public transport operators in Dunedin included Turnbulls (Dunedin to Portobello); Newtons (Dunedin to Waverley), Otago Road Services (Dunedin to Green Island, Abbotsford and Fairfield), all of whom operated services over several decades from the 1950s to the 1980s and 1990s. From the late 1980s onwards, Cesta Travel (later called Southeastern) and Dunedin Passenger Transport operated a wide range of routes on various short-term contracts.
In late January 2020, the Dunedin City Council voted to reduce bus fares while exploring the re-establishment of a commuter rail link between Mosgiel and the Dunedin city centre. This includes allocating $600,000 to bus subsidies.[21]
In July 2023, the Otago Daily Times reported that the Go Bus Transport company would be shifting its bus depot from Princes Street to the former PlaceMakers site on Portsmouth Drive in early 2024.[22] Earlier in July 2022, the Dunedin City Council had explored selling the Princes Street bus depot to enable Kāinga Ora to develop housing. In response, Dunedin Tramways Union branch president Alan Savell had defended retaining the bus depot at Princes Street.[23]
In early February 2024, Ritchies introduced 11 Yutong E10 battery electric buses to its fleet in Dunedin, which were originally planned to enter service in October 2023. Each bus cost between $500,000 and $700 000, and operate on some of the city's steepest routes. There was initially slight concern about how much charging the buses would need, but this concern was eliminated when the buses proved to be able to run all day on a single charge, although Ritchie's says it can charge them midday if needed. Prior to this, for the month of October in 2021 Otago Regional Council trialled an electric bus in Dunedin, to test its abilities on steep terrain and on the motorway.[24][25][26][27]
From March 2024 onward, live electronic arrivals boards will be installed in Dunedin and Queenstown.[28]
Airport buses
There are no conventional
Orbus runs bus route 1 to Queenstown Airport from other parts of Queenstown.[29]
Notes
References
- ^ Bus use on the rise in Dunedin and Queenstown
- ^ "Dunedin Bus Timetables".
- ^ "Queenstown Bus Timetables".
- ^ "The Bee Card Launches In Dunedin Next Week | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. 28 August 2020. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "Bus trip numbers continue to rise | Otago Regional Council". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ "Fares from 1 July | Otago Regional Council". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "'Bee' ready – the Bee Card is now available in Otago". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Bee prepared for cheaper ferry trips". Otago Daily Times Online News. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "New $2 online bus card - and free until September". Crux. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ Houseman, Molly (27 August 2021). "Dunedinites get to keep $2 bus rides - for now". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "ORC to consider interim flat bus fare structure for Dunedin". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Tag on, tag off bus system from September". Otago Daily Times Online News. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ L, Matt (25 October 2022). "A new National Ticketing System". Greater Auckland. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- Scoop.co.nzwebsite, viewed 2 December 2017
- ^ Morris, Chris (20 August 2011). "Councils in talks on buses". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
- ^ 'New Motor Buses' article in Otago Daily Times, 18 April 1925
- ^ "Era ends for Dunedin buses". Otago Daily Times Online News. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "New Zealand Tramways Union concerned about potential sale of Citibus". Channel 39. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "DCC sells Citibus". Otago Daily Times Online News. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ISSN 0028-8624.
- ^ Perry, Emma (30 January 2020). "DCC votes to reduce bus fares". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ "Future home for buses". Otago Daily Times. 5 July 2023. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ Miller, Grant (11 July 2023). "Bus depot is in ideal spot, union says". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ Gill, Sinead (20 July 2022). "Electric buses hitting Dunedin streets in 2023".
- ^ "Launch of zero emission buses in Dunedin". 7 February 2024.
- ^ Ngawhika, Ani (8 February 2024). "Electric buses soon to take to city streets". Otago Daily Times.
- ^ "'The way of the future': Dunedin trials first electric bus". 28 September 2021.
- ^ "Bus use on the rise in Dunedin and Queenstown". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ "Queenstown Bus Timetable Route 1" (PDF). Otago Regional Council. November 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2023.