On Board with Orbus - February 2024

📢Welcome to our first edition for 2024, which includes some helpful information about catching a bus to school this term and our new electric buses.

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

Welcome back to school on the bus! 

Buses are an affordable way to get to and from school this term. Fares are cheaper with a registered Bee Card when a child concession (for 5–18-year-olds) is loaded onto the card. Learn more about the Bee Card here.

Check out this handy 101 how to catch the bus guide with lots of information about how to catch a bus and plan your journey.

Find the latest timetable information for Queenstown and Dunedin.

Please note: demand is always very high at this time of year with the return to work, tertiary institutions, and schools. Please be patient and plan ahead, as buses are likely to fill up quickly.

“Thank you, driver!”

Our drivers love it when you say hello and thank you – so give it a go! Research has shown drivers feel more valued and appreciated when passengers thank them for a ride. It makes their day!

Drivers are doing their best to get you safely to where you want to go, so we really appreciate you keeping up the niceness even when there are hiccups.

Refer to our Code of Conduct for more information. Note that CCTV is always in operation on our buses.

Jump on board an electric bus in Dunedin!

Dunedin’s first electric buses (e-buses) will start appearing on Dunedin’s streets this month. 

Eleven buses will come into service and they’ll help us meet climate goals by substantially reducing fuel consumption. 

The first e-buses will operate on hill routes, including Routes 5 and 6, which serve Pine Hill and Calton Hill, Routes 10 and 11, which serve Opoho and Shiel Hill, and Route 15, the Ridgerunner, which links the University to South Dunedin via Mornington. 

The new buses will have zero tail-pipe emissions, offer a smoother ride and be quieter (although still audible for those with low-vision).

No worries either in Dunedin winters, as the new buses operate well in cold weather and start in sub-zero temperatures.

Additional e-buses will be coming into service as contracts are renewed in both Dunedin and Queenstown with the aim to be 100% zero emission by 2028.

You can find more information here.

Image: Electric bus launch on 7 February at the Ritchies’ depot in Dunedin.
L-R: Andrew Noone - ORC Councillor and co-chair of ORC’s Public and Active Transport Committee, Richard Saunders - ORC Chief Executive, Michele Kernahan - CEO of Ritchies, Amish Vallabh - Director of Commercial Ritchies Transport, and Helena Lee - JW Group (which supplied the buses).

What’s your view on transport in our region?

Let’s get the conversation rolling on the region’s transport! The Regional Land Transport Plan is undergoing a mid-term review and is now open for consultation until 15 March 2024.

We want to know if the options detailed in the mid-term review of the transport plan are meeting the wider community’s needs.

The Otago Southland Regional Land Transport Plan sets out the common strategic transport direction to guide transport activities within our regions, and identifies the agreed regional long-term vision and objectives, as well as the transport investment priorities. The plan must be developed every six years and reviewed every three years.

This consultation gives you a chance to give feedback on transport activities in our region. The feedback will help prioritise how transport is funded for the Otago and Southland regions. Your input will help ensure the plan is on track and still relevant to the regions’ needs.

Don’t miss your chance to give your view on our transport plan - submissions are open now. You can find more information here.

Busy cruise ship season in February

 
You can expect more cruise ships to arrive this month, and with students back at school, buses will likely be much busier than normal on these dates between Port Chalmers and the City:

• Tuesday 20 February

• Monday 26 February

Here is the schedule of extra buses – but there will likely be queues. You can also

call the customer service team: 0800 ORBUSDN (0800 672 8736).

Key information for the community:

• Additional buses between Port Chalmers and Dunedin are being put on morning and afternoon.

• Buses will leave from Port Chalmers and the Central City Bus Hub with capacity left for passengers along Route 14.

• Cruise ship passengers are being directed to get on and off the bus at Centre City New World.

Note that some of these extra trips may be provided by buses without Orbus branding. 

Image: A cruise ship sailing past Taiaroa Head in Dunedin

Big delays to buses ongoing due to roadworks and peak travel

⚠️ Heads up, passengers — there are 15 to 20-minute delays to buses during peak times in both Dunedin and Queenstown. To find out if your bus is cancelled or delayed, go to: 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.