Frequently Asked Questions

The Bee Card is a tag on tag off bus card that gives bus passengers cheaper fares in nine regions around New Zealand, including Otago. 

As well as an easy tag on tag off system, it also offers benefits such as setting up an online profile for topping up and the ability to manage multiple cards.

You must REGISTER your Bee Card to get a specific concession. If you are aged 5+ and have an unregistered Bee Card, you will pay more per bus trip.

Save yourself some money by spending a little bit of time ticking off this easy but important step!

You can go to an ORC office or a Bee Card retailer to buy a Bee Card, or ask your bus driver to purchase one (cash only). You can also order a Bee Card online. Remember to register it by going online here.

Check out the step by step process here with our 101 How to catch the bus?

About the hub

The Central City Bus Hub on Great King Street off Moray Place is the heart of Dunedin’s bus network. The whole Dunedin network is connected by the hub, with all citybound services running through it, with the exception of the Ridge Runner.

The hub has ten city bus stops, one regional stop and amenities including shelters, bench seating, toilets, as well as electronic wayfinding signage and stops with audio buttons.

With almost all citybound bus services running through the Bus Hub, finding a connecting route and making transfers will be much easier. If you transfer from one bus to another within 45 minutes, you will not have to pay an additional fare. 

The Bus Hub has been positioned on Great King Street to take traffic of the busiest stretch of George Street, centralise bus routes and make transferring simple. For first-time users, including tourists, it will provide an easy point of reference and a simple way to catch buses or transfer between them.

Where is the bus hub?

The bus hub is on Great King Street between Moray Place and St Andrew Street.

Where are the stops?

Map of bus stops at the hub

You are able to see your bus in real time, and  to track it via live maps on the website (located under each route) or through Transit, the real time app. 

The Transit Realtime app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play, and easy to use. 

If you need to take two buses as part of your commute, you may still only pay for one fare.

When a Bee Card user changes buses as part of their commute, they get a free transfer, so long as they change buses within 45 minutes. That means you should tag on your next bus within 45 minutes of tagging off your last bus.

Remember to tag off the second bus too.

To enjoy your SuperGold concession, you need to register your Bee Card at www.beecard.co.nz or get help from the Otago Regional Council to do so.

You will need your SuperGold card number and birthdate. 

More information on free travel, your Bee Car and how we can help 

Once it’s on there, you won’t need to show the driver your card. You just tag on and off, and the system will recognise your discount.

In Otago, there are only two concessions at the moment, and they are for SuperGolds and young people aged 5-18.

So, whether you are 17 or 70, if you are eligible for a concession, you must register the card to enjoy concessionary travel.

Yes, there is free Wi-Fi on all buses.

To connect you need to choose the “Bus-Free” network in your wi-fi settings, accept the terms and conditions, and connect. Follow the instructions to connect, Bus Talk 2: Technology on the bus (orc.govt.nz)

If your wi-fi drops out, please check your wi-fi connection. If you connected while at the hub you may have accidently connected to a different bus.

No, however if you are feeling unwell the use of masks is still encouraged while you're on the bus to protect others.

Find out what you can and cannot take on the bus

Domestic pets are allowed to travel on buses. They will be free of charge with passengers during off-peak times on buses as long as they are fully enclosed in a suitable pet carrier - not just a bag or backpack. The carrier must be on the passenger's lap to avoid being a tripping hazard. 

Off-peak times are on weekday services between 9am and 3pm, after 6:30pm, and all day on weekends. 

When you are travelling with your pet and see a disability assist dog (guide dog) entering the bus, please move with your pet away from the disability assist dog team so they can get settled without added distraction.

More about pets on buses

If you have lost something on the bus, you are advised to contact the bus operator directly. 

GoBus: 03 474 6655

Ritchies: 03 477 9238

If you are unsure of the operator, or had property damaged, call us on 0800 ORBUSDN (0800 672 8736).

All Orbus buses are now fitted with GPS devices, which feed real-time bus arrival times through to Transit and TrackAbus. 

You can see your bus in real time on the Transit app or on TrackAbus maps on the website. 

The Transit Realtime app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play, and easy to use. 

More about the Transit app

The fleet must be accessible to all passengers.

The buses are used interchangeably across all routes and all times, rather than one bus dedicated to one route.

This means our buses need to be consistent in size and standard to ensure it can accommodate our diverse range of passengers.

Give us a call on 0800 ORBUSDN (0800 672 8736) or email transport@orc.govt.nz.

Keep up to date on Facebook or via the monthly Bus Talk column is published in The Star on the first Thursday of every month.