The Regional Public Transport Plan will guide how Otago Regional Council will invest time and money into public transport for the next ten years (2025-2035).

The plan aims to provide public transport solutions that are easy to understand and meet communities’ diverse needs. In short, public transport people want to use – more often. 

New government expectations mean that we have some tough choices to make.

We value access, transport options and the economic, health and environmental benefits that a convenient, reliable and efficient public transport system delivers for our communities. However, we are now required to recover a greater share of public transport operating costs from private sources. This means we need to increase things like passenger fares and advertising or decrease our spending on services, which would mean fewer buses or removing some routes. 

Timeline

24 March: Feedback begins

25 March—16 April: In-person consultation sessions

2 May: Feedback closes

12—16 May: In-person and online hearings. Opportunity to tell our elected members more about your feedback

19—30 May: Council considers feedback

June/July: Council considers adopting the plan


Consultation

Consultation closed 2 May 2025

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the draft plan during our public consultation period. We look forward to bringing you an updated plan in June/July 2025.

We are working on making submissions publicly available here. Please come back soon to view submissions.

Consultation questions

Should we support community transport services in small town and rural areas?

We’re considering bringing in community transport in these areas, such as non-profit community vehicle trusts run by volunteers. 

Should we increase passenger fares?

We’re considering increasing the Bee Card adult fare from $2 to 2.50. 

Should we charge more for longer trips?

We’re considering changing to a zone fare system so different zones can have different fares. 

Should we keep free fares for children (5-12 years)?

We’re considering keeping free fares for children and standardising the youth discount (13-18 years) to 40% in Dunedin and Queenstown. 

The plan’s focus areas

  1. Passenger experience: Provide public transport services that respect the safety and wellbeing of all passengers.

  2. Build trust: Ensure public transport projects align with community priorities.

  3. Environmental sustainability: Invest in a public transport system that promotes positive outcomes regarding greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants and land use.

  4. A connected and integrated network: Provide a reliable and convenient public transport system.

  5. Value for money: Provide public transport services that are good value for money. 

Flowchart showing the plan’s focus areas


Hearings and deliberations

Watch hearings recordings

Hearings took place in the week beginning 13 May 2025. In these hearings, Councillors listened to verbal submissions on the plan. You can watch the recordings on the ORC YouTube channel.

Submissions