Public Transport on the Peninsula

Bus Cartoon

With the Otago Regional Council looking at transferring the management of the bus service to the Dunedin City Council. . While no timeframe has been given for the proposed transfer of management its probably a good time for Otago Peninsula residents to consider their use of the current service and what their needs are. Public transport services are important for our area and especially for the many high school children who use them. Currently, the Peninsula service is heavily subsidised and that means that our level of patronage is low. People who rely on the bus should be keeping a “weather eye” on the future management of the service and whether changes to its current format are made in the future.

By Paul on the Peninsula

I'm Paul Pope the Chairman of the Otago Peninsula Community Board. I was elected to the Board in 2013 and became chair in 2016. I bring a wealth of experience, common sense and a community focused perspective. I've created this blog to let people know my personal views and opinions on some of the issues that affect our community. Its also an opportunity for people to contact me, offer their advice or share a problem.

2 comments

  1. Paul, I agree we need to keep a close eye on developments in this area of public transport. But I also think Peninsula public transport needs a radical makeover if it is to have any long term future. Despite current subsidies, bus fares are quite expensive and as a result, most buses run empty. Fares go up to close the gap and even less people travel, leading to a death spiral toward eventual closure. If we want this trend to stop we, as a community, need to do something different.

    1. I agree that fares are certainly one of the issues, at $5.90 for an adult fare from Portobello to the City it makes it an expensive commute on a weekly basis. There does need to be some change in the way the service is scheduled and I would like to see smaller vehicles that can keep operating costs down used. One of the other options is to create better zone fares along with greater “frequent user” discounts to make bus travel more affordable and attractive. One other option is to utilise bus services into the tourism market to help subsidise local use, but that needs work because of the short tourist season.

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