Submissions on bus hub to be sought

The Otago Regional Council is about to seek public input over a proposed design for Dunedin's central bus hub.

It is hoped the hub - expected to be located in Great King St, near the central police station -will be operational in the first half of next year.

The council is expected to seek submissions from the public in August-September.

The council has already begun changing bus transport arrangements, introducing faster, more direct bus routes, and more flexible ticketing.

The existing electronic ticketing system will be adapted in August to allow bus users to make free transfers between buses during a short period, before continuing travel within the same fare zone.

This means transferring passengers would avoid having to pay a second fare for further travel within that zone.

In a recently-tabled ORC committee report, council corporate services director Nick Donnelly said staff had finalised contractual arrangements with consultancy firm Beca to provide design services for the central ``bus hub/interchange'' and ``super stops''.

The first bus system route change took effect on July 1 last year, offering a quicker trip from Mosgiel to central Dunedin, via a Green Island ``super stop''.

Go Bus will begin running more direct routes to Belleknowes, Brockville, Halfway Bush, Ocean Grove, Ross Creek, St Kilda and Waverley on August 15 as part of the planned overall changes.

The last group of reorganised, more direct city bus routes would begin operating next February, council support services manager Gerard Collings said.

The new routes would ultimately connect with the new hub.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz

 

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