Wakatipu High principal Oded Nathan said his charges were already experiencing issues using the public network, run by the ORC, to get to and from school. "We need to remove barriers to education, and having a ministry-based bus service for our kids is an important part of that." There was a single bus service, at 3.26pm, which "did not ... meet the capacity needs". The council aimed to deliver a public transport system that suited "the most people, most of the time". She said every year across the country, public transport experienced a phenomena dubbed "March madness" wherein public transport services were full, if not oversubscribed, as schools and universities returned and visitors moved around the country.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 27, 2026 16:03 UTC