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Public transport in the Otago Region

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Orbus
ParentOtago Regional Council
Founded1986
LocaleNew Zealand
Service areaDunedin, Queenstown
Service typeBus
Routes20 in Dunedin, 6 in Queenstown
HubsDunedin Bus Hub, Great King St; Frankton bus hub, Queenstown
Daily ridership10,919 (Dunedin, July-December 2023)
6,067 (Queenstown, July-December 2023) [1]
Fuel typeDiesel, battery electricity
OperatorGo Bus Transport, Ritchies Transport
WebsiteDunedin 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 Otago Regional Council designs routes and schedules, and contracts operation of bus services to two bus companies, Go Bus Transport and Ritchies Transport. The majority of bus routes in Dunedin normally operate at 30 minute headways, with 8 and 63 operating at 15 minute frequencies. All buses in Queenstown run at 60 minute headways, except for route 1, which operates every 15 minutes. In Dunedin, Services on evenings, weekends and holidays operate at about half the normal weekday frequency and there are no services on late Sunday or holiday evenings, nor on Christmas Day, Good Friday or Easter Sunday.[2][3][note 1]

Bus fares in both cities are paid for by cash or by the electronic ticketing system Bee Card. The Bee Card replaced GoCards on 1 September 2020.[4] Prior to GoCards, multi-trip paper tickets were used until November 2007.[citation needed]

Buses in Otago carried 4,050,282 passengers per year from 2022 to 2023.[5]

Dunedin bus routes

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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, North Dunedin, Maori Hill, 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, Fairfield, 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
  • All routes use wheelchair-accessible buses
  • All routes use buses fitted with bike racks

Fares

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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

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Dunedin's bus network is designed and managed by the Otago Regional Council. Fares are levied to cover about half of operating cost with the balance subsidised by Otago Regional Council ratepayers (about a quarter) and New Zealand Transport Agency (the remaining quarter; funded by fuel tax and road user charges). Buses use the individual companies' livery with Otago Regional Council stickers added. Until 2015, all services operated under the brand Gobus; this ended when a bus company with a similar name began serving the city. The regional council intends to introduce a new brand Orbus to the network[14] Safety standards are regulated by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). The Dunedin City Council has no administrative role other than as provider of the road infrastructure (with the exception of State Highways, for which NZTA is the provider), street furniture such as signs and seats and regulation of parking at bus stops. However, the city council is involved in discussions with the regional council over taking over the management of public transport.[15]

History of public transport in Otago

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The Dunedin City Council operated and managed most public transport until 1986 including the Dunedin cable tramway system (similar to the famous San Francisco cable car system) between 1881 and 1957, electric trams from 1900 to 1956, trolleybuses from 1950 to 1982 and motor buses from 22 April 1925[16] to 1986. From 1986, management of bus services became the responsibility of the Otago Regional Council. Otago Regional Council allowed any company to bid on routes and services, and Citibus, the city council owned bus company, won many of the routes tendered and had the best quality vehicles, compared to the private operators.[17]

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]

New Zealand Railways (NZR) operated commuter trains from the Dunedin railway station to Port Chalmers and to Wingatui and Mosgiel until 1979 and 1982, respectively. Reintroduction of rail services is suggested from time to time[20] NZR, through its Road Services division, from 1985 known as Cityline, also operated motor buses to the suburbs of Warrington, Cherry Farm, Brighton, Outram and Mosgiel until Cityline was privatised in 1991 – the Dunedin fleet was sold to Newtons Coachways. All the above-mentioned train or bus routes except Warrington and Outram continue to be served by the present bus system.

In early times, there were ferries connecting the central city to Port Chalmers and Portobello, but these ceased between the 1930s and 2018 as road connections along the harbour's edge were improved.

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]

Ritchies Orbus Yutong E10 battery electric bus leaves the Bus Hub

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

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A shuttle van to Dunedin Airport loads a passenger at Dunedin railway station

There are no conventional airport bus services to Dunedin Airport: this airport is served by a large fleet of shuttle vans provided by several operators including most of the local taxi companies. Airport shuttle vans typically stop several times en route to pick up or let off booked passengers.

Orbus runs bus route 1 to Queenstown Airport from other parts of Queenstown.[29]

Notes

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  1. ^ A local bus museum society operates on two routes on the three non-service days of Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday
  2. ^ Destination numbers are being phased out

References

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  1. ^ Bus use on the rise in Dunedin and Queenstown
  2. ^ "Dunedin Bus Timetables".
  3. ^ "Queenstown Bus Timetables".
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "Bus trip numbers continue to rise | Otago Regional Council". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Fares from 1 July | Otago Regional Council". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  7. ^ "'Bee' ready – the Bee Card is now available in Otago". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Bee prepared for cheaper ferry trips". Otago Daily Times Online News. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  9. ^ "New $2 online bus card - and free until September". Crux. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  10. ^ Houseman, Molly (27 August 2021). "Dunedinites get to keep $2 bus rides - for now". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  11. ^ "ORC to consider interim flat bus fare structure for Dunedin". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Tag on, tag off bus system from September". Otago Daily Times Online News. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  13. ^ L, Matt (25 October 2022). "A new National Ticketing System". Greater Auckland. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  14. ^ New Queenstown bus service identity unveiled Archived 3 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine on Scoop.co.nz website, viewed 2 December 2017
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 'New Motor Buses' article in Otago Daily Times, 18 April 1925
  17. ^ "Era ends for Dunedin buses". Otago Daily Times Online News. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  18. ^ "New Zealand Tramways Union concerned about potential sale of Citibus". Channel 39. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  19. ^ "DCC sells Citibus". Otago Daily Times Online News. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  20. ^ for example "Down at the Station". New Zealand Railway Observer. 65 (4). Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society: 153. October 2008. ISSN 0028-8624.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "Future home for buses". Otago Daily Times. 5 July 2023. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ Gill, Sinead (20 July 2022). "Electric buses hitting Dunedin streets in 2023".
  25. ^ "Launch of zero emission buses in Dunedin". 7 February 2024.
  26. ^ Ngawhika, Ani (8 February 2024). "Electric buses soon to take to city streets". Otago Daily Times.
  27. ^ "'The way of the future': Dunedin trials first electric bus". 28 September 2021.
  28. ^ "Bus use on the rise in Dunedin and Queenstown". www.orc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Queenstown Bus Timetable Route 1" (PDF). Otago Regional Council. November 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
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