2023-06 On Board with Orbus

Orbus

Welcome to our June edition, which includes some big announcements about a range of fare changes that are happening from 1 July.📢

If you have any feedback on what you'd like to include, please email comms@orc.govt.nz.

Free fares for children from 1 July

Good news for families/whānau - fares for children aged 5-12 will be free from 1 July.

For other age groups, some passengers will continue to pay half price fares, some will go back to our usual fares, while others will be free of charge.

All passengers will have to register their Bee Cards to access concessions. Those aged 5+ who tag on and off with an unregistered Bee Card will pay $2 per trip.

Cash fares will become standardised across both centres which means all age groups will pay $3 in Dunedin and $4 in Queenstown.

Read the full story here.

Community Connect concessions are here

Community Connect provides Community Services cardholders with half price fares on public transport with a registered Bee Card.

Once Community Connect is set up you will receive half the adult card fare on all Bee Card services in Otago from 1 July.

SuperGold Bee Cards

If you have a SuperGold Bee Card, do not apply Community Connect to your existing SuperGold Bee Card or you will lose your free Off Peak travel.

You will need a second Bee Card to access Community Connect concessions.

Find out how you can get your Community Connect concession here.

Big delays to buses due to roadworks and peak traffic

⚠️ Heads up passengers - there are 15–20-minute delays to buses during peak times in both Dunedin and Queenstown. To find out if your bus is cancelled or simply delayed, go to: www.orc.govt.nz/public-transport.

A free phone number is also available:

Phone 0800 672 8736 for Dunedin information.
Phone 0800 672 8778 for Queenstown information.

Dunedin sees 200,000 more bus trips since Covid

📢 Hey Dunedin! Did you know that you took 200,000 more bus trips between July 2022 and May 2023 than you took during these same months before Covid?

It's been a tough time, so thanks for sticking with us and thanks for your appreciation of our drivers too.

Wondering what your bus fare will be from 1 July?

There’s a lot happening with fares, so we’ve designed a nifty Fare Finder to help you find what fares will be like for you and your whānau. Simply select your age group and options to see which bus fare option could be applied to you or someone you know.

Use our Fare Finder now.

Dunedin bus fares from 1 July

Adult (25+) fares will be $2 with a Bee Card in Dunedin from 1 July. To access your concession, you must register your Bee Card at orc.govt.nz/registerbeecard.

It’s easy to register — just provide your name, date of birth and address.

Queenstown bus and ferry fares from 1 July

From 1st July, buses in Queenstown will be $2 a trip for those aged 25+ with a Bee Card. Don't keep this a secret - tell your friends. Ferry prices are also rising to $10 with a Bee Card, but this could still be cheaper than taking a car and paying for parking, especially in the town centre.