- Passenger Transport (New Zealand)
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This article is about a New Zealand bus company named "Passenger Transport"
Passenger Transport Slogan 'We Move People' Founded 1991 Headquarters Invercargill Service area Invercargill, Dunedin, Queenstown, Christchurch Service type bus service, inter-city coach service, coach charter Fuel type Diesel Web site passengertransport.co.nz
citibus.co.nzInvercargill Passenger Transport Ltd (usually shortened to Passenger Transport) is a bus company which operates public transport routes and school transport services in Dunedin and Invercargill and leisure and tourism transport services throughout New Zealand.
Contents
Public transport services
Passenger Transport operates almost all public transport in Invercargill and Dunedin.
School and charter services
Passenger Transport is a major operator of local school bus and coach charter trips around Invercargill and Dunedin, using vehicles from its urban and tourist fleet. A major peak of this business occurs during the summer season of cruise ship visits to Dunedin.
Tourism services
A Bristol double decker bus operated by PT Citibus subsidiary First City Tours providing sightseeing tours of Dunedin, at Dunedin Railway Station- Tour coach services to package tour operators are provided under the Newtons brand.
- First City Tours provides a double decker bus sightseeing tour around Dunedin.
- Track & Trail is a combined coach and train service from Dunedin to Queenstown connecting with the Taieri Gorge Railway
Long distance services
Passenger Transport operates inter-city coach services as part of other franchise networks:
- Atomic
- Southern Link
- nakedbus.com
Company history
Invercargill Passenger Transport was formed in 1991 through the privatisation of the Invercargill City Council bus fleet. In 1995 the company established a branch in Dunedin and has operated part of Dunedin's bus network since. In 2011, Passenger Transport bought competitor Citibus from the Dunedin City Council.[1]
Citibus, previously called Citibus-Newton, traces its roots back to its days as the municipal bus operator in Dunedin known as Dunedin City Transport (also variously called Dunedin Corporation Transport or Dunedin Corporation Tramways or DCT). DCT operated Dunedin's cable car system and trams (some of which were built by private developers) as a municipal transport department of the Dunedin City Council. Typically of most cities, Dunedin converted the tram and cable car routes firstly (in the 1950s) to trolley bus then to diesel bus (by the early 1980s). In the mid-1980s Rogernomics reforms, the department was incorporated as a Local Authority Trading Enterprise and named Citibus Ltd.
Newton's Coachways was a charter coach, sightseeing and school bus company owned by Stewart and Norma Newton, itself successor to an earlier family firm Mitchell's[citation needed]. Newton's took over the Dunedin area services and fleet of the New Zealand Railways Road Services, known as Cityline and re-branded it Newton's City Line. Newton's was taken over by Citibus in 1993, and the combined firm traded for many years as Citibus-Newton Ltd or CNL. It reverted to Citibus in 2005. In 2006 it took over small inter-city coach operator Wanaka Connexions.
By 2011, the Dunedin City Council felt Citibus was described by city mayor Dave Cull as "haemorrhaging money"[2], and the business was privatised; it is now owned by Invercargill Passenger Transport Ltd[1]. The new owners elected to retain the 'Citibus' brand, branding the service Passenger Transport Citibus[3], but decided to sell the Connexions business[4].
Fleet history
Citibus and its predecessors operated Leyland vehicles for nearly 90 years before their last Leyland Leopard bus left service in 2011[5]
References
- ^ a b "DCC sells Citibus". Otago Daily Times. 20 April 2011. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/157020/dcc-sells-citibus. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ "Era ends for Dunedin buses". Otago Daily Times. 21 April 2011. http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/157140/era-ends-dunedin-buses. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ McCorkindale, Wilma Sustainability focus of changes for Citibus in D Scene newspaper, Dunedin, 27 April 2011, p3
- ^ Ibbotson, Lucy (29 June 2011). "Connexions service may continue". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/wanaka/166880/connexions-service-may-continue. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ Gibb, John (18 May 2011). "End of era in transport". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/160904/end-era-transport. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
External links
- PT Citibus website
- Fleet list on Gobus Wiki
Bus transport in New Zealand Urban bus companies Go Bus Transport (Go Bus Christchurch) · NZ Bus (GOWest - Northstar - The Link - Metrolink - Waka Pacific - GOWellington - Valley Flyer) · Leopard Coachlines Ltd · Passenger Transport · Red Bus Ltd · Ritchies Transport · Souter Holdings (Howick & Eastern - Mana Coach Services - Newlands Coach Services)Long distance bus companies Tourism bus companies Bus manufacturers Government and regulation History Infrastructure Categories:- Bus companies of New Zealand
- Transport in Dunedin
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