Dunedin public transport users can expect to see cleaner buses hitting the city streets courtesy of a brand new "bus wash".
Transport operator Go Bus officially opened its new purpose-built South Dunedin depot this week, replacing its long-standing depot in Princes St.
The former PlaceMakers site in Portsmouth Dr had been refurbished with a 50,000 litre diesel fuel tank, refuelling area and a "bus wash" that recycled 80% of the water used.
A new workshop, capable of servicing six buses at a time, would maintain a fleet of more than 100 vehicles across Dunedin and the wider region, including urban buses, school buses and specialised school transport assistance vehicles.
An on-site portable charger would support the 13 new electric buses in the Mosgiel–Dunedin network, which began operating in July, and complement Go Bus’ fully electrified satellite depot in Mosgiel.
"There’s a lot of stuff that you don’t see that makes life a lot easier for us with the new facility and with the investment we’ve made, but certainly cleaner buses is something that I think the Dunedin public could look forward to seeing."
The new depot had been a long time in the making and provided a greater opportunity to serve the needs of the Dunedin community, Mr Haslop said.
The Princes St site was "very much an old-school bus depot" and the new one had been future-proofed for electrification.
When buses got dinged, the depot’s new panel shop and paint booth could service them within 24 hours, compared to an up to one week wait through a third party.
It would make for a greater reliability of buses, he said.
Otago Regional Council (ORC) transport manager Lorraine Cheyne said the depot signalled "a confident step into the future".
The transport operator had a long-standing presence in Dunedin.
"ORC is incredibly proud to work alongside an operator that is investing in both its people and the city’s future.
"The ORC-Go Bus partnership is built on trust, reliability and a shared commitment to getting people where they want to go."
