From the beginning of school term 4 on Monday, 14 October, there will be a permanent 1C service departing the Dunedin Bus Hub to Warrington. This will mean that the morning 1C service now has a return trip in the afternoons.

During school terms only, route 1C will continue to leave at 7:35am from Warrington to the City and a new return 1C trip will leave the bus hub at 3:40pm, 5 minutes after the route 1 service to Palmerston, heading back to Warrington.

Upon departing Dunedin, the bus service will follow the same route to Palmerston as service number 1 (Dunedin to Palmerston) to Waitati.

After Waitati, the service will depart SH1 at Coast Road, travelling to Warrington and terminating at the bus stop at Warrington School on Ferguson Street. Ferguson Street is the only stop after Waitati.

There are no changes to any other route 1 services.

Meanwhile, the new Waitati bus stop will remain in service and be made permanent, subject to consultation, following a two-month trial, says ORC Transport Manager, Lorraine Cheyne.

“The trial showed the new stop effectively provides a safer alternative to people having to cross the busy highway by the On the Spot store.”

From August this year, passengers on the Dunedin city to Palmerston bus service began using a new bus stop in Waitati, in addition to the stop on State Highway 1 near the On the Spot store.

Northbound buses have been looping into Waitati township to let passengers off at the new temporary stop opposite the fire station, before returning to State Highway 1 and continuing north. 

This loop was introduced following community concerns about safe crossing of children on the highway.

© Scoop Media