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Sarah Gardner
Sarah Gardner
Dunedin and Queenstown bus users are reporting high satisfaction with services as the Otago Regional Council increases bus trip frequency on some routes.

However, the council says it recognises the need for more consistency with its Queenstown service.

The council discussed a report on customer satisfaction at a committee meeting in Dunedin yesterday, for which 200 users were ''randomly'' surveyed for each service.

The Wakatipu service scored 95% satisfaction overall and Dunedin had 93%.

Dunedin's was up from 87% last year. Wakatipu had not been surveyed before.

The regional council released a statement yesterday noting challenges remained for the Wakatipu service, with satisfaction in how often the services run at 78%, and information about services and delays at 71%.

''However, these results are in line with expectations, given the pressure for services to fast-growing areas, and continued rush hour congestion and road works,'' the statement said.

Council chief executive Sarah Gardner said the council was ''really pleased''.

A report to council said staff were working with the operator to extend the frequency of off-peak hour buses for the Waverley to Belleknowes service to every 30 minutes during weekday off-peak times.

This would cost $25,700 between November, and July 2019.

It also proposed to double the Lake Hayes Estate to Jacks Point bus frequency to 30-minutes in the afternoon, at a cost of $68,200 a year.

Bus Users Support Group Otepoti Dunedin co-president Peter Dowden said he ''commended'' the change to the Belleknowes route.

''I highly approve. It will resolve a lot of issues across the route.''

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz

 

Comments

Given the service is costing all ratepayers, perhaps the survey should include all ratepayers. What of those who are unhappy with the service, so don't use it? Surveying only those who use the service seems quite pointless. More self congratulatory nonsense from the ORC.

LePeche. Ha ha you've got it! They took the Canongate bus away so they are pretty unhappy. But nobody asked them.

 

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