More support for Lyttelton bus service

More buses will be provided for the 28 bus route to and from Lyttelton on days when sizeable cruise ships are in port and there is high demand on the service. Provision of these extra buses will be subject to driver availability.

Since cruise ships returned to port last year, the 28 bus service has been popular with cruise ship travellers. This has meant longer wait times as buses are full, and delays in the service while cash payments are processed. While cruise companies provide shuttles for their passengers, these are considerably more expensive than public transport.

The 28 service will be expanded, depending on availability and demand, with up to five extra buses to accommodate cruise ship passengers, which should help reduce delays at peak times. The Metro team are also planning to trial kerbside presale of a $10 Day Pass to speed up boarding.

The Metro team will endeavour to provide extra support for route 28 until end of April when the cruise ship season ends. The team has also identified some alternative options for school pupils to use, which should further alleviate the issue at peak times.

While these solutions will help meet demand in the short-term the Metro network is still under pressure from a nationwide shortage of bus drivers, which is limiting how much extra capacity can be provided without compromising other services.

Metro will continue to work with the local community, NZ Cruise Association and ChristchurchNZ to find sustainable solutions to this issue ahead of next year's cruise ship season.