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.
March 2025
PDF | 4 MB
This plan covers many public transport topics, including how we will improve passenger experience, connect communities throughout our region, set our bus fares, plan our bus routes and fund public transport.
March 2025
PDF | 1 MB
This is a summary of the Otago Regional Public Transport Plan (2025-2035). The full plan is a blueprint for how people move around our region.
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
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.
Passenger experience: Provide public transport services that respect the safety and wellbeing of all passengers.
Build trust: Ensure public transport projects align with community priorities.
Environmental sustainability: Invest in a public transport system that promotes positive outcomes regarding greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants and land use.
A connected and integrated network: Provide a reliable and convenient public transport system.
Value for money: Provide public transport services that are good value for money.
We’re considering bringing in community transport in these areas, such as non-profit community vehicle trusts run by volunteers.
We’re considering increasing the Bee Card adult fare from $2 to 2.50.
We’re considering changing to a zone fare system so different zones can have different fares.
We’re considering keeping free fares for children and standardising the youth discount (13-18 years) to 40% in Dunedin and Queenstown.
Councillors will listen to verbal submissions on the draft Regional Public Transport Plan. Public can attend these hearings in-person or watch on the ORC YouTube channel.
Councillors will continue to listen to verbal submissions on the draft Regional Public Transport Plan. Public can attend these hearings in-person or watch on the ORC YouTube channel.
Hearings will take place in the week beginning 13 May 2025. This is where the councillors will listen to verbal submissions on the plan. You can watch these live on the ORC YouTube channel, please subscribe to be notified.
April 2025
PDF | 181 KB
This is the first minute of the Regional Public Transport Plan hearings panel that outlines general process and procedures for the hearings.
May 2025
DOCX | 12 KB
This document contains a summary of submissions we have received on the draft Regional Public Transport Plan and notes staff recommendations.
May 2025
PDF | 1 MB
This document has been prepared by ORC staff to provide the hearings panel with an outline of the purpose of the draft RPTP and rationale for the plan review, a summary of the early engagement and public consultation, a brief overview of submissions, including submitter demographics, a summary of the submitters’ responses to the five key topics we sought feedback on, a staff response to submissions received and staff recommendations on proposed changes to the draft RPTP to address submission points.
May 2025
PDF | 169 KB
This document is the current hearings schedule for the draft Regional Public Transport Plan. This will be updated regularly should there be any changes to the schedule throughout the hearings process.
May 2025
PDF | 141 KB
This is the second minute of the Regional Public Transport Plan hearings panel that outlines the schedule for reconvened hearings on Friday 16 May 2025.