Thursday 21 March 2019
The Dunedin Central City Bus Hub opens today. This marks an important milestone for public transport in Dunedin, as it provides the Orbus service with a dedicated facility at the heart of the network.
It is one of many changes made to modernise our bus network and keep up with development happening across our great little city. They include the service changes we’ve made in recent years, the opening of the Hub today, as well as the real-time schedule information and tag-on tag-off ticketing to come later this year.
We understand that changing the bus network can be disruptive, which is why we have carefully staged these improvements over several years. Upgrading Dunedin’s bus network has been no simple feat; each change to routes and regularities has been measured, modelled and calibrated to advance the network. There are now very few variations, much more direct and regular routes, and a more consistent, modern and fit-for-purpose service.
It’s cleaner and simpler, and now—with the Hub opening—even easier to navigate. By centralising all citybound routes within one block of Great King Street, the Hub will make it convenient to transfer between routes, opening up connected journeys throughout Dunedin and enabling GoCard users to make the most of 30-minute free transfers within the city zone.
We couldn’t have done it without the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and the Dunedin City Council (DCC), agencies that we partner with in Connecting Dunedin, working together for safer, more accessible and better-connected public transport.
We’d also like to acknowledge the businesses on Great King Street and close by who have been supportive and patient during construction.
Our thanks also to you, Dunedin, in particular bus users. Your input, feedback and constructive criticism help us to know the different ways we may be able to improve the service.
Buses will start to travel via the Hub as tomorrow. All the information you need about how your bus is affected is available online at www.orc.govt.nz/OrbusDN, but we are also using radio and print advertising to let you know when your bus will start to travel via the Hub. You may have also seen Orbus ambassadors travelling on buses providing information and answering questions. Lastly, the helpful team at the end of the bus helpline will give you the details also – 0800 ORBUSDN (0800 672 8736).
We are excited to be building a bus service that will grow with demand, and we’re very excited to finally open the Bus Hub. So, head down to Great King Street and have a look at your Bus Hub.