With Dunedin’s cruise ship season set to begin on October 24, Otago Regional Council will provide extra buses to help meet increased demand for services to and from Port Chalmers during peak times.
Otago Regional Council Planning and Transport general manager Anita Dawe said, in a statement, the council was working closely with Port Otago and the West Harbour Community Board to plan for crowding on buses during the busy season.
A total of 79 cruise ships are scheduled to call into Port Chalmers and Dunedin ports — fewer than than last season, when 94 ships visited.
"We’ll be doing the same things we did last season to make sure there’s room for local passengers on the Port Chalmers route 14 bus," Ms Dawe said.
"This includes providing additional trips on route 14 on busy days when more than 2000 cruise ship passengers arrive."
Extra trips will be provided on 30 days throughout the season. On these days extra services will run during morning and afternoon peak times, meaning buses will run every 15 minutes on weekdays or every 30 minutes on weekends.
"We are again looking to sell bus tickets to cruise passengers from a retail booth at the Port Chalmers Library," she said.
While cruise passengers are encouraged to use the private buses offered by their ships, many choose to take the public bus service. Orbus buses leaving Port Chalmers will leave room for passengers at later stops.
This season, the central city drop-off and pick-up point for cruise ship passengers on the Port Chalmers bus will again be outside the Centre City New World in Cumberland St. — Allied Media
