Public transport needs in the Queenstown and wider Wakatipu area are coming under the spotlight, with the Otago Regional Council engaging consultants to help with a Wakatipu network review.
ORC director corporate services Nick Donnelly reported on the review and related business case development in a report tabled at a meeting of the council's finance and corporate committee in Dunedin yesterday.
Mr Donnelly said the consultants were also helping with the business case development associated with the review and any proposed changes.
The programme aimed to have the initial network review and business case developed by the end of next month.
The final business case and any proposed network changes would be completed by the end of June next year, Mr Donnelly said in the report.
Approached for comment, ORC support services manager Gerard Collings said the New Zealand Transport Agency and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) were mindful of growing highway traffic congestion in the Queenstown area and believed public transport could help counter this challenge.
''Queenstown has got real congestion issues,'' he added.
''We're mindful that public transport can play a role in [helping with] some of that.''
The review would check if the public transport network in the area met the needs of the ''customer base'' and was ''providing the level of service that the community expects''.
Mr Collings was asked about the big changes under way with Dunedin's public bus service, which aimed to provide more direct routes, more frequent bus services, high-quality vehicles easily used by people with disabilities, and a more flexible electronic ticketing system.
He noted that the Dunedin changes had reached the implementation phase, with the first route changes, involving the southern routes, having begun on July 1.
The Wakatipu Network Review was at an earlier stage but could also result in significant changes, with the review seeking to respond to strategic concerns such as the congestion issues and to match the service with user needs.
ORC staff were continuing to meet QLDC officials and other stakeholders over the review and related matters.
Asked if there could be significant changes and greater spending, Mr Collings said he did not want to comment in detail until the review had been completed, but ''there's probably going to be a need for some [further] investment''.
