When icy roads, snow and frost arrive, we know delays or cancelled services can be frustrating.
But your safety—and the safety of our drivers—is always our top priority.
We're incredibly grateful to our drivers, who navigate challenging winter conditions every day to keep our communities moving whenever it's safe to do so.
We know many of you appreciate stepping onto a warm bus on a frosty morning—and our drivers work hard to make that possible.
While a private car may be able to travel on icy roads, buses have different operating requirements.
Buses are:
- are much larger and heavier than cars,
- carry many passengers,
- need significantly longer distances to stop safely.
Even if a car can travel on icy roads, a bus may not be able to operate without creating an unacceptable safety risk for you and others on the road.
Our operators continually assess road and driving conditions. If roads are snow-covered, icy, affected by black ice, or haven't yet been treated, services may be delayed or suspended until conditions improve. For example, if a road is scheduled to be gritted but the gritting hasn't been completed, we'll wait until it's safe to travel.
Getting to your bus on icy days
Please remember:
- Take extra care when walking on ice and frost—slow and steady helps avoid slips.
- Wait in a safe, visible place so your driver can see you and pull in safely.
- Keep your hands free to help with balance.
- Use handrails, especially on steps.
- Wear shoes with good grip.
Updates on alerts and services are posted on the:
Thank you for your patience and understanding during winter.
By putting safety first, we can get everyone to their destination as safely as possible.
Bus alerts
Find all bus and ferry alerts on the Orbus Dunedin and Queenstown networks — bus cancellations, traffic disruptions, detours and more.
Queenstown Orbus on Facebook
Information for Queenstown bus travellers is shared to our OrbusQT Facebook page during office hours.
Dunedin Orbus on Facebook
Information for Dunedin bus travellers is shared to our OrbusDN Facebook page during office hours.
