The new Route 1 extension starts on 1 October, with a return trip between Ōamaru and Dunedin operating seven days a week.

ORC Public Transport Portfolio Co-lead Cr Alan Somerville says, “The new service will provide a valuable public transport connection for people living in Ōamaru and the communities between Ōamaru and Dunedin.

“It will provide a morning service from Ōamaru to Dunedin and an evening service from Dunedin to Ōamaru, seven days a week, giving people another option for travelling to work, appointments and other activities in Dunedin.”

The service will depart its first stop in North Ōamaru at 8.21am, arriving in Dunedin at about 10.20am, and leave Dunedin’s Bus Hub at 5.05pm for Ōamaru.

It will stop at Maheno, Hampden, Palmerston, Waikouaiti and Waitati, with nine new bus stops in Ōamaru providing morning pick-up and evening drop-off points.

To help improve journey times, on weekdays, Route 1 services travelling to and from Ōamaru will not divert through Karitane and Warrington but will travel through both townships on weekends.

The new Ōamaru service is part of changes being made to the Dunedin bus network from 1 October, including changes to other routes to improve reliability, connections, and travel times.

During October, the Ōamaru to Dunedin service will have introductory fares – adult Bee Card holders will be able to travel for $2.50. Zoned fares and new pricing will start on 1 November and more information will be available about this soon.

“The Ōamaru service is a significant addition to ORC’s bus services and opens up an exciting option for people travelling between Ōamaru and Dunedin. This is an opportunity for people to show their support for this service by using it.”

Dunedin bus improvements

Dunedin’s bus network will also see a range of changes from 1 October, including new and improved services, changes to routes and timetables, and more electric buses operating across the network.

Cr Somerville says, “these changes have been made to better reflect travel times, improve reliability and provide better connections between services.”

One of the biggest changes will be the replacement of Routes 3 and 50 with new Routes 30 and 35.

Route 30 will operate between Ocean Grove and Helensburgh, while Route 35 will operate between St Clair Park and Ross Creek. Frequencies will remain the same, although timetables and the way some services travel through the network will change.

Route 70 will also be replaced by two new routes. Route 71 will operate between Brighton and Green Island, while Route 72 will provide an Abbotsford loop. The new routes will also provide additional school-day services to help connect students with six high schools in the city.

Cr Somerville says passengers should check their route and timetable before travelling from 1 October so they know where and when their bus will travel.

Many Dunedin routes will have some changes, although for many passengers these will simply be small timetable adjustments.

The new timetables are available through the Orbus website and journey planner, with the Transit app updated from 1 October.

Improvements also include the addition of 37 new electric buses which replace diesel buses on Go Bus routes. This will bring the number of electric buses operating in Dunedin to 61 out of 79, or 77%, with the full Dunedin fleet expected to be electric by 2028.

“The introduction of more electric buses is a major step towards ORC’s goal of transitioning to a zero-emission fleet in the coming years, with the added benefit of reducing emissions of harmful pollutants,” says Cr Somerville.

Go Bus Chief Operating Officer Ben Barlow says the new service is a significant connection for communities north of Dunedin.

"We're committed to providing safe, reliable services that improve accessibility and connectivity for the communities we serve. This new link will help people in Ōamaru and along the coast access opportunities in Dunedin, and we're pleased it will be a zero-emission service from day one," Mr Barlow says.

"We've worked alongside the Otago Regional Council and the Dunedin community for many years, and from next week we'll be running more of the network. We've welcomed 30 new drivers to the team, and we're proud to be providing a daily return trip between Ōamaru and Dunedin.

"We've also electrified our Portsmouth Drive depot to support the 37 new electric buses joining our Dunedin routes."

More information about bus changes are available at orc.govt.nz