Otago Regional Council transport manager Lorraine Cheyne said it had been brought to the ORC’s attention that carrying bikes at night could potentially obscure headlamps on some bus models.
"Although only some bus models may be affected, we will be restricting the use of bike racks on all buses at night while we ensure buses carrying bikes still comply with the land transport rule on vehicle lighting," Ms Cheyne said.
The hours of the restriction will be from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise on the next day. For November, the bike rack restriction will be in place from 8.29pm to 6.14am for Dunedin, and from 8.34pm to 6.24am for Queenstown.
"This directive from NZTA is all about public safety. While we haven’t encountered any issues with the visibility of our headlights before, we want to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep our customers, drivers and the public safe," Ms Cheyne said.
This is a nationwide safety notice that applies to all buses with front-fitted bike racks.
— APL
