A group of Dalziel Rd residents has made one final push to avert the loss of a bus service on their road, but their call appears unlikely to change the decision.
Robert Gilmore and residents said the loss of their bus, once the Otago Regional Council's new bus routes came into force on August 15, would mean a long walk on a road with no lighting or footpath near fast-moving traffic.
He said residents would be "severely disadvantaged'' by the change.
However, Cr Michael Deaker, who was on the hearings subcommittee that oversaw the changes, said the regional council was trying to concentrate buses where there were concentrations of people.
Dalziel Rd, above Brockville, was sparsely populated, and the council was unlikely to make any change unless new subdivisions increased the number of people living there.
Hearings and a consultation process took place on the new routes in 2014.
Mr Gilmore took part in that process, but did not get the result he wanted.
In a letter to the ORC and the Otago Daily Times this week, Mr Gilmore said he had international school pupils staying at his home who used the bus daily, and many people used the bus to get to work.
He said there had been a lack of communication with the residents about the service ceasing, and it had not been explained how the loss of the service would save money.
ORC support services manager Gerard Collings said the panel of ORC and Dunedin city councillors had listened to submitters, with changes taking place in Brockville, for instance, after concerns were raised by residents.
The council had been frank about the issue, with information disseminated through newspaper reports.
Submitters were written to in 2014, and changes were being advertised on the radio, print media, on the council website and through social media.
Every home was receiving timetables, there would be fliers on affected routes, and the council was considering having students on buses explaining the changes.
Cr Deaker said he had driven to Dalziel Rd when consultation was under way "and noted, of course, that the houses along that road are sparse in relation to all our other bus routes''.
That was one reason the decision was made.
"We couldn't technically make the adjustment that Mr Gilmore wanted, nor justify the additional cost of running along a sparsely populated rural road.
"That was the essence of it.''
Asked about changing the plan, Cr Deaker said, "I can't imagine why we would.''
