Otago Regional Council bus ambassadors Maria Kean and Robbitti Stanley have been putting in some long days but have been thoroughly enjoying their work, explaining planned Dunedin bus route and timetable changes that came into effect yesterday.
The two women are among six ambassadors who have just finished their third week of travelling on the city’s buses and explaining the route and timetable changes.
These changes reflect the council’s Regional Public Transport Plan (2014), which aims to improve the city’s bus service by providing a more modern, more direct and more frequent service.
Both women said they had learnt a great deal about the large size of the city’s bus network, and its importance not just in transport terms but in supporting what was often a valuable network of friends who met each other while travelling each day on the same bus.
"There’s a lot of people who are really keen for a chat when they get on the bus," Ms Kean said.
Ms Stanley was impressed by how much bus patrons already knew about the route and timetable changes, and was happy to answer any questions from the public.
Council support services manager Gerard Collings was pleased with how the ambassador programme was working.
