More than 400 people have signed a petition urging the restoration of an hourly ‘‘local to Dunedin'' bus, directly linking Brighton, Green Island, Concord and South Dunedin.
The Greater Green Island Community Network is lobbying to have an hourly bus service restored, and operated by the Brighton No 70 bus.
The petition asks the Otago Regional Council to restore the ‘‘local'' service, to supplement the express bus service that already operates on a route to central Dunedin, via the Green Island ‘‘super stop'' bus stop.
On July 1 last year, the new southern routes bus network was implemented, the first phase in plans to streamline Dunedin bus routes.
But many residents in the Greater Green Island area were concerned their previous direct bus links with South Dunedin had been lost.
Some Concord residents said the bus change had also made it harder for them to reach the Green Island Medical Centre and other community facilities.
Network community worker Lynda Davidson said she was ‘‘pretty blown away'' by the ‘‘really good'' response to the petition from the Greater Green Island public.
The petition would be presented to the ORC.‘‘It's bringing people together for a common cause,'' Mrs Davidson said.
The petition closed on Monday.
Some petition sheets had not yet been returned, so the final count was likely to grow.
The strong community response showed people were ‘‘looking to make a change'', she said.
