Bus Talk 1: Bus talk is back, and so is winter

Since the changes to the bus service last year it’s been great to see the community using the buses more. Did you know there’s been 8.4% more passenger trips (compared with the same period in the previous year)? Stay tuned to this column for news and information about your bus service each week.

Winter is here!
Dunedin winters can be brutal, with snow and black ice contributing to difficult driving conditions. Some of the most challenging days for the public bus service are snow days. While our biggest goal is to provide the best possible service for all users, safety is always top of our list.

So, what happens when it snows?
Throughout each snow day our bus operators regularly assess road and driving conditions and inform us of any delays and changes within the service, including any cancellations of services.

We then share this information with our bus-users via regular bus alerts on our website as well as on our Dunedin bus-users Facebook page.

What can you do?
If you’re wondering whether your bus is running on Dunedin’s next frosty morning, jump onto our Facebook page or our website for updates.

We endeavour to keep these as current and up-to-date as possible, working with the information that comes to us from the service operators. Sometimes the bus-drivers are relying on what they find when they get out on the roads, which can mean a quickly changing situation on those chilly mornings.

We work with Ritchies and GoBus to update you as soon as we can and we ask that you give yourself plenty of extra travel time on wintery days, just in case.