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NZ service shake-up

Major changes to bus routes and fares rolled out as new operator takes over in Dunedin

Bus fares have increased in Dunedin and routes have changes, after Go Bus Transport took over one of the city’s major contracts.

Those without a GoCard now pay almost 10 per cent more per ticket when paying in cash, while card users pay about five per cent more than they previously did.

The new routes came into effect this week and provide more direct routes to their destinations.

Otago Regional Council chairman Stephen Woodhead says the changes are aimed at making bus travel more efficient and accessible for users.

“Buses departing on the hour will do so consistently, providing passengers with more certainty about departure and arrival times, including in the evenings and at weekends,” he says.

“The contract under which the new southern routes services will operate had been awarded after a competitive tender process to Go Bus Transport.

“This tender process had enabled the starting date for some of the new services to be brought forward from 2019.”

Most of the changes have been made along the southern bus routes servicing Abbotsford, Brighton, Fairfield, Green Island and Mosgiel – with 238 extra bus services now operating in these areas.

Mosgiel is an era that has not been well-serviced, so more than half of the new services will be concentrated there.

The extra Brighton and Abbotsford services include a late evening service on Fridays and Saturdays with Abbotsford also getting Sunday and public holiday services.

They are the first of a series of changes to be progressively rolled out throughout the city network over the next few years.

All southern routes will be serviced by new low–floor, low emission buses, which will be purchased by GoBus and be on the road by July next year.

Otago Regional Council staff handed out information flyers to bus users last month that explain the changes and a copy of the new timetable was delivered to all households in Dunedin.

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