Whai Wāhitaka Accessibility

Accessibility at Orbus means making bus travel as easy as possible for people with different needs. This may look like having dedicated wheelchair seating, non-slip flooring, low contact travel, or audible timetables at bus stops. However, it also looks like drivers who won't rush you, who will try to let you know when your stop coming up, or any number of small gestures that can make life easier for everyone.  

Below are the things we are doing to try and help people use public transport as easy, comfortable and dignified as possible.

All buses in the fleet are low-floor and pram and wheelchair-accessible with additional space for wheelchairs and prams/pushchairs.

During extreme circumstances, older buses will need to be called in and these may not have low floor features, however this is rare and we try to update users on Facebook via OrbusQT for Queenstown residents and OrbusDN for Dunedin residents.

What to be aware of

• A driver may ask passengers to move out of priority seating for someone who needs it
• Our buses can kneel close to the kerb to make it easier for wheelchair users to board, however kerbs around Dunedin and Queenstown vary in height
• Because accessibility can differ from stop to stop, the driver may set up a wheelchair ramp to help you board. Please be patient as the driver looks to find a solution to assist you to board the bus
• If you have a motorised wheelchair, please note that size can also be a factor for access on the bus. There is a maximum weight limit of 300 kg and a maximum width of 700 mm wide

Get in touch with us if you use a regular service, so we can look at the best way to help you get around.

Most Orbus buses are accessible low floor buses. This puts the front door step at a height of around 370mm above the ground, with a ramp to move up further into the bus.

Many of our buses can “kneel”. This means drivers can lower step of the front door down to a height of between 245 – 280 mm from the ground. According to the NZTA most curbs are around 150–160mm from the ground.

Look for the “This bus kneels on request” sticker! Bus drivers won’t automatically kneel at every stop, as this would slow down the travel time, but they are always happy to kneel whenever needed, so please do ask.

The only animals allowed on the bus are service dogs, including guide and hearing dogs, and puppies in training.  

Your dog should please be clearly marked as a service dog, should be on a lead and sit on the floor. 

To a be a “disability assist dog” your dog must be certified by an authorised organisation. A list of these organisations can be found in Schedule 5 of the Dog Control Act 1996.

Domestic pets such as cats and dogs are allowed to travel on buses during off-peak times only and if they are in a pet carrier/container. Find out more about animals on buses.

E-stops are stops with an electronic display. They have an audio button for accessibility which says the upcoming departures.

The bus stops at Dunedin’s Bus Hub are e-stops and they display the timetable information for each particular stop.

E-stops let passengers know how many minutes until the bus arrives at their stop. We are installing more e-stops throughout Dunedin and Queenstown, with 50 planned to be installed during 2024.

The Queenstown ferries are unfortunately not accessible at the moment.

Please contact info@queenstownwatertaxis.co.nz who will do their best to support any accessibility requirements.