Media release

Alternative travel on World Car Free Day encouraged with free buses

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Connecting Dunedin, a partnership between the Otago Regional Council, NZ Transport Agency and Dunedin City Council, is encouraging Dunedin people to leave the car at home this Friday for World Car Free Day.

To mark the occasion, and to give the community an opportunity to try out the bus service for free, the Regional Council is offering free bus travel right across the Dunedin network all day. This initiative is being funded by the Regional Council with assistance from the NZ Transport Agency.

“With our recent changes to the bus service, we’re very pleased to be able to offer everyone the opportunity to ride our Dunedin bus network for free on Friday” says Peter Bodeker, Otago Regional Council Chief Executive.

NZ Transport Agency Director Regional Relationships Jim Harland is encouraging people to go car-free for a day and “give the bus a go, particularly if you have not done so for a while.”

Sue Bidrose, Dunedin City Council Chief Executive Officer will be taking the bus and is looking forward to seeing lots of people out and about. “This is a great chance to leave the car at home and travel around our beautiful city in a different way.”

The Connecting Dunedin partnership is “a coordinated approach to transport projects in Dunedin”, says Otago Regional Council Chair Stephen Woodhead. “It’s all about making sure that the overall transport system that we’re delivering in Dunedin has all its parts working together well.”

For further information contact:

Stephen Woodhead
Chairman
Otago Regional Council
Ph 027 2801635

Communications contact:
Eleanor Ross
Senior strategic communications and engagement advisor
Otago Regional Council
Ph 027 558 9914