Today is the last day for the introduction of buses through the Hub – including Opoho/Shiel Hill, Pine Hill/Calton Hill and Concord/University services. By Friday, all citybound buses on the Orbus Dunedin network should be travelling via the Hub.
The timing to open the Bus Hub and reroute services in a staggered approach has made the transition much smoother.
We still have a bit to do, but we would like to take this opportunity to thank passengers, bus drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and car drivers for their patience during this time.
Bus services beginning to travel via Hub today
What next?
There are still some small final touches to be made to the Hub.
You’ll notice that our coffee guy – Classic Café – is already situated at the Hub. When the kiosk next to the toilets is complete, Chris and his team will move in permanently and continue to serve hot drinks and snacks.
There are poles at each stop with e-stop timetables that display the letter of the stop, however feedback from you, our users, is that each stop needs a bigger letter. We are working on a solution.
Our large wayfinding screens are also still in testing phase as we find the best, most legible solution for the most users. It’s been great to chat to bus users at the Hub in recent days to ask them what works best.
With the Hub in place, we can focus on technology. For example, real-time schedule information will be displayed on these wayfinding screens. However, the technology is bundled with other useful innovations such as tag-on, tag-off ticketing, and the ability to top up fares online. As this technology is being rolled out across multiple sites in New Zealand, it will be coming later this year.
Be considerate
With the Hub open on Great King Street, bus traffic will of course increase on the block between Moray Place and St Andrew Street. If you drive or cycle this stretch of road, please be aware of buses, and be considerate. Let buses go first, and watch out for pedestrians. Better yet, you may like to think about traveling another route to avoid the Hub altogether.
