Catching the bus for students 101

UPDATE: GoCards have now been replaced by Bee Cards. View updated Bus101 here.

Did you know you can get a student discount on Orbus, the Dunedin public bus? The discount is around 30% cheaper than paying with cash.

The Orbus network connects the city and outer neighbourhoods via the central Hub on Great King Street.

Here’s a handy 101 on how to catch the bus in Dunedin.

Purchase a GoCard for $5 (your student discount only works with a GoCard) from:

• Your friendly bus driver – CASH ONLY
• University Bookshop, 378 Great King Street
• Dunedin City Council, in the Octagon
• Otago Regional Council, 70 Stafford Street

Plan your journey by visiting the ORC Website, Apple Maps, Google Maps or Moovit, the travel app.

Head to your nearest stop 5 minutes before the scheduled time.

Signal the driver of your bus so they know to stop.

Get on, pop your GoCard on the ticketing machine by the driver and tell them your destination. You’ll also need to show your student ID.

Enjoy the view and the free wifi!

Press the red button when your stop is next.

Find out about news, alerts and other promotions on the Orbus DN Facebook page or via the My Little Local app.

Top up. The minimum is $10 and you can do this at the same places GoCards are sold. You can’t top up online yet, but we’re working on this and you should be able to later in the year.

How much does it cost?

A one-way single zone fare with your GoCard and student discount is $1.73.

A two-zone fare, for example from the centre of town to St Clair Beach, is $2.28 one way. 

Who is eligible?

Concessions (discounts) are valid in Dunedin for the following tertiary students:

• Otago University
• Otago Polytechnic
• English Language Partners Dunedin