Connectabus operates the distinctive yellow buses from the town centre to Fernhill and to the airport, Remarkables Park shopping centre in Frankton, Lake Hayes Estate and Arrowtown.
From July 14, the Otago Regional Council has contracted new feeder bus services to Kelvin Heights, Arthurs Point, Lake Hayes Estate, Quail Rise and Glenda Dr in the industrial estate.
ORC chairman Stephen Cairns said in addition to the new subsidised services, Connectabus would increase the frequency of existing lines.
"Given that Queenstown is one of the fastest growing populations in the country, we need to move now to provide improved and reliable commuter services of a high quality," Mr Cairns said.
Discussions and negotiations had been under way for months. The trial was meant to start last November but was delayed while waiting on funding from the New Zealand Transport Agency.
Connectabus owner Ewen McCammon said the aim was to have all services running as fully commercial services before the end of the 32-month trial period. Their existence after that would be subject to public use.
"The success of the trial depends on the public making a conscious effort to use the existing and new services," Mr McCammon said.
ORC corporate services director Wayne Scott said ORC would also introduce the electronic ticketing GoCard system. The cards could be pre-loaded with money, so passengers just put it on a reader which automatically deducted the correct fare. Cash could still be used, but Mr Scott said the GoCard offered a 10% discount on the cash fare.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council has provided new bus shelters. Seventeen have been installed over the past two years at a cost of $11,000 each. Another 16 are planned for the "inbound" stops of the new routes, and 24 regular stops with signs and road markings would be established on the "outbound" points.
Mr Scott said further detailed information on the new services, including route maps and timetables, would be available closer to the launch date.
