Cyclists rejoice — bike racks on Orbus services in Dunedin and Queenstown will resume in time for Easter weekend.
Riders were both confused and angered in October last year, when the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi issued a statement banning buses from carrying bicycles on the bike racks.
The ban was issued because the bicycles they carried on front-fitted bike racks could partially obscure bus headlights at night, and the visibility issues this created made the vehicles non-compliant with road rules.
Although some bus models were affected, Otago Regional Council transport manager Lorraine Cheyne said the council had to restrict the use of bike racks on all buses, day and night, to ensure the buses carrying bikes still complied with road rules on vehicle lighting.
Following changes to some of the buses’ lighting, the restrictions had been lifted.
Ms Cheyne thanked the public for their patience, and acknowledged the frustration felt by some passengers.
"We’re very pleased to be able to resume the full bike-rack service in Dunedin initially, and in Queenstown from the beginning of May, as all modifications to buses are completed.
"Our teams and operators have been working hard to get recent changes implemented," she said.
In Dunedin, the use of bike racks on the city’s buses will resume, day and night, from 6am this Saturday.
In Queenstown, the bike racks will be available for use again during the day from 7am-6pm on Friday, but it would be early May before they could be used at night.
All the Queenstown buses would have been modified and be compliant with the road rules by then, she said.
