In Christchurch and Timaru, Environment Canterbury (Canterbury Regional Council) is responsible for planning and tendering out the bus and ferry services, marketing and providing information such as timetables, telephone services and websites.
The city and district councils that the buses travel through - Christchurch City, Waimakariri District, Selwyn District and Timaru District Councils - are responsible for providing and maintaining passenger transport infrastructure such as bus exchanges, stops, and shelters.
Transport operators
Red Bus Ltd, Leopard Coachlines Ltd, Christchurch Bus Services Ltd and Black Cat Ltd are responsible for supplying the vehicles and drivers for the bus and ferry routes they have been awarded through a tender process for the Christchurch passenger transport network.
Timaru Bus Services Ltd, Geraldine Tourism Services (for Twizel) and Ritchies Transport Holdings Limited (for Temuka) are responsible for supplying the vehicles and drivers for the bus routes they have been awarded through the tender process for the Timaru passenger transport network.
Metro
In 2003, Metro was launched to provide a brand to be used uniformly across the passenger transport network in Christchurch. The Metro brand was extended to the Timaru passenger transport network in January 2007.
Bus services and timetables
Go to the MetroInfo website for more information about bus services and timetables.
Total Mobility
The Total Mobility scheme assists eligible people with impairments to access appropriate transport to enhance their community participation. This assistance is provided in the form of subsidised door to door transport services wherever scheme transport providers operate.
Eligible individuals are able to access Total Mobility vouchers that enable them to receive subsidised taxi fares with approved service providers (taxi companies) who participate in the scheme.
In Christchurch, the subsidy is set at 50 % of the taxi fare up to a maximum of $35.00 per voucher at present.
All individuals with impairments wishing to access Total Mobility vouchers must undergo an assessment to ascertain if they meet the eligibility criteria set by New Zealand Transport Agency, and adopted by Environment Canterbury.
General information - including eligibility criteria & approved agencies (pdf 44 kB)
Total Mobility application form (pdf 270 kB)