A lack of passengers, especially to North Dunedin, has led to the cancellation of late-night buses from the centre city.
The Dunedin City Council, police and ACC put in a combined $25,000 for the 11-week trial, starting in February, of buses to take passengers from the centre city to suburbs.
The buses left the Octagon and Princes St at 1.30am, 2.30am, and 3.30am for North Dunedin, South Dunedin and Mosgiel on Saturday and Sunday, charging patrons a blanket $5 for any destination.
But as the trial comes to an end, ACC injury prevention consultant Amie McCombe said bus patronage was quite disappointing.
Patronage averaged about 110 per weekend across all routes, although the bus to Mosgiel was a success. A taxi fare to Mosgiel costs between $40 and $50.
Other routes were not popular Many students were happy to walk home, or share a taxi where cost was not such as issue.
People seemed to be prepared to wait an hour for a taxi rather than catch a bus.
Night buses worked success fully in other centres. ACC had not given up on the idea and was looking at alternatives.
Dunedin Passenger Transport managing director Kayne Baas said patronage at night was too unpredictable to put on a com mercial service.
Dunedin Taxis director Bil Collie said behaviour in the Octa gon had improved, and people were waiting in a more orderly manner for taxis. As long as people behaved, more taxis would come into the Octagon.
People did not want to walk from bus stops, and preferred to wait for taxis, which took them straight home, he said.
