Sitting on its hands.
### ODT Online Sat, 13 Mar 2010
Potential to market buses to city’s youth
By Rebecca Fox
Dunedin buses and the city itself are incredibly safe, so parents do not need to cart their children everywhere, Otago regional councillor Michael Deaker says. “It’s crazy stuff,” he said of a finding in a survey of young people’s attitudes towards, and use of, public transport that 49% were driven everywhere by their parents.
Cr Stephen Woodhead said it was concerning to see 20% of those who used buses did not know about the council’s fare-payment GoCard.
Post by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 
Michael Deaker is right. And I might add he seems to be one of the few ORC Councillors with more than a few active brain cells.
Someone in Auckland said that there was no transport crisis outside of school terms, and the same could be said of Dunedin. Just look outside every primary or secondary school at the beginning or end of every school day. Hordes of mothers dropping off their kids from their cars. Cars empty apart from the mother and usually one kid. And crowds of students in their own cars.
There are tons of programmes like the Walking School Bus that provide a “safe” and healthy way of getting kids to school without cluttering up the roads, and there are more than enough opportunities on public transport – but it must be said that the whole infrastructure of bus transport is threatened by these parents who seem to think that while they walked, cycled or caught a bus to school, that their kids can’t do the same. Why? Do they really think that their kids are going to be snatched? Peer pressure? Rubbish.
I suspect that one of the major drivers of personal transport to schools is the schools themselves. They tend to promote the “safe” aspect of school transport via the parent transport door-to-door, they provide parking for students. About time for schools to suggest in the strongest possible terms that walking, cycling or public transport is the way to go. Do you reckon they’ll do it? I’m not holding my breath.
### ODT Online Mon, 15 Mar 2010
Bus passenger numbers down
By Rebecca Fox
Bus-passenger numbers in Dunedin have fallen in the past year. In March last year, about 170,000 trips were taken, well up on the corresponding month in 2008 (130,000), a report on the patronage trends for Otago Regional Council contracted bus services said. But by April, numbers had dropped to about 130,000.
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Tweet today…
@ajamesgreen Abysmal service at regional council. No free replacement GoCard for a very heavy bus user after normal wear and tear. Only $5 but principle
### ODT Onliine Fri, 19 Nov 2010
‘Hard decisions’ on buses loom
By Rebecca Fox
While still struggling “to get bums on seats” in Dunedin’s public buses, the Otago Regional Council is considering how to manage quality and meet customer expectations. Council’s vision of providing public transport as a viable part of Dunedin’s infrastructure required attracting a substantial, sustained increase in patronage, a report presented yesterday to the finance and corporate committee said.
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### stuff.co.nz Last updated 18:53 19/11/2010
Christchurch bus company sells buses
NZPA
A Christchurch bus company which had a number of buses ordered immediately off the road this week has been sold to Hamilton-based Go Bus Transport, amid regional council concerns that it was struggling to meet fulfil its requirements.
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###ODT Online Sat, 20 Nov 2010
Dunedin’s buses safe
By Stu Oldham and NZPA
Dunedin’s commuter buses were declared to be of a high mechanical standard after a roadside audit similar to that which forced 28 buses off the road in Christchurch.
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This isn’t surprising for Dunedin, the investment by local companies in new buses has been very significant.