Major improvements imminent for Dunedin bus services

The latest GoBus improvements to city bus services in Dunedin take effect in just over a week.

The changes, which start on Saturday January 28, are part of the Otago Regional Council’s continuous improvement of passenger transport services in the city. They feature improvements to Saturday frequencies and routes, and to southern bus routes.

New Saturday services will mean passengers will enjoy more direct and frequent travel to and from several Dunedin suburbs and the city centre. Most Saturday services will run to hourly schedules.

Seven loop services are being replaced with 13 direct services on Saturdays, running hourly, and in most cases, following weekday routes.

Three routes, presently weekday only, will gain Saturday services:
• Ocean Grove
• Bradford/Belleknowes/City Rise
• Concord/Kaikorai Valley

Southern routes to Mosgiel, Fairfield, Abbotsford, and Brighton will also gain additional services during weekdays and weekends.

Brockville, Halfway Bush, and St Kilda become three separate routes on Saturdays.

Harington Point, Portobello and Port Chalmers will also get improved Saturday services.

All Port Chalmers services on Saturdays will cover a greater part of Sawyers Bay than currently, plus Careys Bay.

Longer routes - Port Chalmers, Peninsula, and Mosgiel - will operate to an 80-90 minute frequency (and less frequently for Harwood/ Harington Point services)

In addition to the route and frequency improvements to bus services, ORC will install at least 50 bus shelters throughout the Dunedin network, as part of a programme of installations over the next six months.

ORC chairman Stephen Woodhead said the council was regularly reviewing services as contracts expire. The current improvements recognised that bus services in Dunedin needed to keep pace with people’s changing lifestyles, and offer suitable options.

“We are making a significant investment of about $1 million a year to create substantially improved services, which will provide a lot more convenience for Saturday users who want to come into the city.”

Cr Woodhead said the council’s approach to contracting bus services was prudent and pragmatic.

“Our review processes indicate which services are not attracting passengers. If people do not use certain services, they may be withdrawn.”

The Mosgiel express service is one such case where services have not been well patronised and three outward (afternoon) express services are being removed from Jan 28.

A new timetable will soon be distributed to all Dunedin residents, and an electronic version will be available on the ORC website from 5pm Friday 27 January.

See www.orc.govt.nz for details of the changes.

For more information contact

Stephen Woodhead
Chairman
ORC
Ph 027 2801635

Wayne Scott
ORC director corporate services
Ph 474 0827