The public transport system of Otago centres around the cities of Dunedin and Queenstown, under the brand name Orbus. Public transport in the region is provided using buses and ferries. Despite sharing a name, the systems in Dunedin and Queenstown are isolated from one another.
The Otago Regional Council designs routes and schedules, and contracts operation of bus services to two bus companies, Go Bus Transport and Ritchies Transport. The majority of bus routes in Dunedin normally operate at 30 minute headways, with 8 and 63 operating at 15 minute frequencies. All buses in Queenstown run at 60 minute headways, except for route 1, which operates every 15 minutes. In Dunedin, Services on evenings, weekends and holidays operate at about half the normal weekday frequency and there are no services on late Sunday or holiday evenings, nor on Christmas Day, Good Friday or Easter Sunday.The Otago Heritage Bus Society operates special festive transport in Dunedin, including the traditional Suburban Rumbler.
Bus fares in both cities are paid for by cash or by the electronic ticketing system Bee Card. The Bee Card replaced GoCards on 1 September 2020. Prior to GoCards, multi-trip paper tickets were used until November 2007.
Buses in Otago carried 4,050,282 passengers per year from 2022 to 2023.
Public transport passenger counts across Otago reached 5.59 million trips between July 2025 to June 2026, according to the Otago Regional Council.
Dunedin bus routes Most Dunedin bus routes are radial or cross-city services connecting suburbs with the Dunedin Bus Hub. Longer-distance routes include 1 to Palmerston and Ōamaru and 14 to Port Chalmers. Semi-orbital 15 Ridge Runner links inner and middle suburbs without serving the city centre. Mosgiel is served mainly by 77 and express 78, while the October 2026 changes replaced 70, 80 and 81 with 71, 72 and Orbus On Demand.
Route Number Outer terminus Key Stops Dunedin Bus Hub Stops Key Stops Outer terminus Bus operator 1 Oamaru via
PalmerstonWaikouaiti, Karitane, Warrington, Waitati, Botanic GardensE/H––Go Bus 5 Pine Hill Botanic Gardens, Woodhaugh Gardens, George Street, Knox Church, Dunedin Hospital E/J The Exchange, Caversham Calton Hill Ritchies 8 Normanby North East Valley, Botanic Gardens, Woodhaugh Gardens, George Street, Knox Church, Dunedin Hospital D/I The Exchange, South Dunedin St Clair Go Bus 10 Opoho Botanic Gardens, Woodhaugh Gardens, George Street, Knox Church, Dunedin Hospital E/J The Exchange, South Dunedin, Musselburgh Shiel Hill Ritchies 14 Port Chalmers Careys Bay, St Leonards, Ravensbourne, Logan Park, Forsyth Barr Stadium, University, Otago Museum B/D – - Go Bus 15 Ridge Runner Logan Park Forsyth Barr Stadium, University, Otago Museum, Woodhaugh Gardens, Botanic Gardens, Roslyn, Maori Hill, Mornington – – South Dunedin Ritchies 18Portobello (Harington Point)Company Bay, Macandrew Bay, Edgar Centre, South Dunedin, ExchangeC/G––Go bus 19 Belleknowes Roslyn, Moana Pool E/J Exchange, South Dunedin, Musselburgh Waverley Go Bus 30 Helensburgh Wakari, Dunedin Hospital C/H Exchange, South Dunedin, Tainui/Tahuna Ocean Grove Go Bus 33 Wakari Roslyn C/H Exchange, South Dunedin, Caversham Corstorphine Go Bus 35 Ross Creek Ross Creek Reservoir, Woodhaugh Gardens, George Street, Knox Church, Dunedin Hospital C/H Exchange, South Dunedin, Caversham St Clair Park Go Bus 37 Concord Kaikorai Valley, Roslyn, A/F Otago Museum, University Logan Park Go Bus 44 Halfway Bush Kaikorai, Roslyn, Moana Pool D/I Exchange, South Dunedin St Kilda Go Bus 55 Brockville Glenross, Kaikorai, Roslyn, Moana Pool 61 Kenmure Mornington, City Rise, Exchange A/F – – Go Bus 63 Balaclava Maryhill, Mornington, City Rise, Exchange A/F Dunedin Hospital, Otago Museum, University Logan Park Go Bus 71/72 Brighton Ocean View, Waldronville, Green Island – – – Go BusAbbotsford (Loop)Green Island, Kaikorai Valley, RoslynD/I 77/78 Mosgiel Gordon Road Clocktower, Fairfield, Green Island, Caversham, South Dunedin, Exchange F – – Go Bus Mosgiel (Express) Gordon Road Clocktower, Exchange Mosgiel On-Demand Mosgiel––––Go Bus
Dunedin school bus routes +Route NumberOuter terminusSchool StopsDunedin Bus Hub Stops (Northbound/Southbound)Bus Operator 1 OamaruWaitaki Girls', Warrington SchoolE/HGo Bus 18Portobello (Harington Point)Bayfield High SchoolC/G 95/96 Pine Hill via OpohoLogan Park High School–RitchesPine HillDunedin North Intermediate
Queenstown bus routes Queenstown's bus network provides public transport between Queenstown's town centre, surrounding suburbs, residential areas, and tourist destinations. Most routes operate through the Queenstown central area with services extending to Frankton, Arrowtown, Kelvin Heights, Jack's Point, Arthurs Point, and Lake Hayes. The network also provides connections to Queenstown Airport and key shopping and employment areas. +Route NumberOuter stopviaFrankton Bus Hub, Golf CourseQueenstown Bus Hub (A,B,C)viaOuter stopBus Operator 1Remarkables ShopsAirport, Marina HeightsYesYes (A,B)Crowne Plaza, FernhillSunshine BayRitches 2Frankton–YesNo Events Centre, Amisfield Winery, Mora Wines, Malaghans RdArrowtown 3Quail Rise–YesNoRemarkables Shops, Kawarau Falls, Kelvin PeninsulaKelvin Heights 4Jack's PointHanley's FarmNoYes (B,C)FranktonArrowtown 5Queenstown–YesYes (B,C)Marina Heights, Shotover CountryLake Hayes Estate
Queenstown school bus routes +Route NumberOuter terminusSchool StopsDoes it Stop at Either Bus Hub?Bus Operator 1Sunshine BayWakatipu High SchoolYes, BothRitches 2ArrowtownArrowtown Primary SchoolOnly Frankton Bus Hub 4Jack's Point via ArrowtownWakatipu High SchoolNo
Orbus Queenstown ferry Orbus Ferries Queenstown is a scheduled ferry service operating daily between Queenstown Bay and Frankton Marina. Stopping at the Hilton and Bayview. +Route1st stop2nd stop3rd stop4th stop 6Queenstown BayBayviewMarina HeightsHilton All routes use wheelchair-accessible buses All routes use buses fitted with bike racks
Bus Fares Bus Fares in Queenstown and Dunedin are based on the passenger's age and concession status. Most passengers use a Bee Card, with standard fares of $2.50 for adults and $1.50 for children aged 5–12 and youths aged 13–18. Passengers with a Community Services Card can use the Community Connect concession, reducing the adult fare to $1.25. Children under five travel free, while SuperGold cardholders travel free during off-peak periods. Cash fares are $4 for adults, children and youths. Bee Card users can transfer between buses for free when the second bus is boarded within 45 minutes of tagging off the first bus. Bus services to and from Queenstown Airport have separate fares.
Ferry Fare The Queenstown Ferry fare is $10 one-way with a Bee Card while it'll cost $14 without a Bee Card.
Beecard transition to Motu Move Motu Move launched in Greater Christchurch in November 2025, with contactless payment options on bus and ferry services in Christchurch City, Selwyn and Waimakariri. Rollout is continuing across New Zealand region by region. Motu Move is expected to be operational throughout the country by the end of 2027.
With Motu Move, you will be able to:
pay with contactless debit/credit card or device use a prepaid Motu Move card or pre-buy a ticket.
Organising bus routes in Dunedin
Dunedin's bus network is designed and managed by the Otago Regional Council. Fares are levied to cover about half of operating cost with the balance subsidised by Otago Regional Council ratepayers (about a quarter) and New Zealand Transport Agency (the remaining quarter; funded by fuel tax and road user charges). Buses use the individual companies' livery with Otago Regional Council stickers added. Until 2015, all services operated under the brand Gobus; this ended when a bus company with a similar name began serving the city. The regional council intends to introduce a new brand Orbus to the networkNew Queenstown bus service identity unveiled on Scoop.co.nz website, viewed 2 December 2017 Safety standards are regulated by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). The Dunedin City Council has no administrative role other than as provider of the road infrastructure (with the exception of State Highways, for which NZTA is the provider), street furniture such as signs and seats and regulation of parking at bus stops. However, the city council is involved in discussions with the regional council over taking over the management of public transport.
In July 2023, the Otago Daily Times reported that the Go Bus Transport company would be shifting its bus depot from Princes Street to the former PlaceMakers site on Portsmouth Drive in early 2024. Earlier in July 2022, the Dunedin City Council had explored selling the Princes Street bus depot to enable Kāinga Ora to develop housing. In response, Dunedin Tramways Union branch president Alan Savell had defended retaining the bus depot at Princes Street. In late July 2024, the Otago Daily Times reported that Kāinga Ora had abandoned plans to build an 80-100 room apartment block on the site of the Princes Street bus depot after discovering it sat on contaminated ground.
In mid August 2025, GoBus opened its new Dunedin depot at the former PlaceMakers site on Portsmouth Drive, which replaced the Princes Street site. The new depot consists of a workshop capable of servicing six buses, a 50,000-litre diesel fuel tank, refuelling area, a purpose-built bush wash facility and a portable charger for GoBus's fleet of 13 new electric buses. By early September 2025, GoBus had finished relocationg its operations from Princes Street to Portsmouth Drive. The Dunedin City Council indicated that it was exploring options for redeveloping the Princes Street site.
History of public transport in Otago The Dunedin City Council operated and managed most public transport until 1986 including the Dunedin cable tramway system (similar to the famous San Francisco cable car system) between 1881 and 1957, electric trams from 1900 to 1956, trolleybuses from 1950 to 1982 and motor buses from 22 April 1925'New Motor Buses' article in Otago Daily Times, 18 April 1925 to 1986. From 1986, management of bus services became the responsibility of the Otago Regional Council. Otago Regional Council allowed any company to bid on routes and services, and Citibus, the city council owned bus company, won many of the routes tendered and had the best quality vehicles, compared to the private operators.
Citibus would go on to be privatised in 2011, after Dunedin City Council voted to sell it, with the mayor at the time summarising by saying that it was "hemorrhaging money". There was concern by some critics, like Labour MP Clare Curran, that this move would worsen driver working conditions.
New Zealand Railways (NZR) operated commuter trains from the Dunedin railway station to Port Chalmers and to Wingatui and Mosgiel until 1979 and 1982, respectively. Reintroduction of rail services is suggested from time to timefor example NZR, through its Road Services division, from 1985 known as Cityline, also operated motor buses to the suburbs of Warrington, Cherry Farm, Brighton, Outram and Mosgiel until Cityline was privatised in 1991 – the Dunedin fleet was sold to Newtons Coachways. All the above-mentioned train or bus routes except Warrington and Outram continue to be served by the present bus system.
In early times, there were ferries connecting the central city to Port Chalmers and Portobello, but these ceased between the 1930s and 2018 as road connections along the harbour's edge were improved.