During Otago Regional Council long-term plan deliberations, Cr Elliot Weir called on councillors to recognise the need to address safety concerns and public confidence in the Dunedin bus hub as well as night-time reliability across the region’s bus networks.
Sixteen-year-old Enere McLaren-Taana was fatally stabbed at the bus hub after what police described as an "altercation" shortly after 3pm on May 23.
A 13-year-old boy has been charged with his murder.
Since it was established in 2019, the bus hub has become a magnet for trouble despite its location right beside the city’s central police station.
After the stabbing, the Dunedin City Council, the regional council and police met and agreed to form a working group to change "the culture of behaviour" and improve safety at the bus hub.
The regional council’s decision to recognise safety concerns at the bus hub had no budgetary implications.
However, Cr Michael Laws said it was really important the council recognised its responsibility in the matter — "and the need to assure the travelling public of Dunedin in particular that they are safe".
"This will be one of the finest disincentives to public transport were the current state of affairs to be continued.
"There are some tough discussions that we need to have particularly with the Dunedin police and what I regard as their inactivity on this matter, but also with the Dunedin City Council and the safety of their community as well.
"This recognises that there is an issue and we need to do something about it.
"It’s not mere words, it now demands an action that follows it."
Cr Gretchen Robertson said buses were an essential service and renewing confidence in them and addressing "the issues that we know are there" was very important.
Cr Andrew Noone also spoke in favour of the move.
"I think this is what you strive to do to have a fit for purpose passenger transport service whether it’s in Queenstown or Dunedin, or wherever," Cr Noone said.
Cr Weir said confidence in the reliability of buses at night was also an important safety issue.
