eBus FAQs

Our 5 most frequently asked questions

What does ‘Express bus’ mean?
Buses on Routes 5 and 6 travel to Richmond before carrying on to Nelson, via the hospital. Instead of stopping at all the bus stops between Richmond and Nelson, they will only stop at the hospital interchange and the city centre hub interchange. In addition, Routes 5 and 6 can take Whakatu Drive instead of Main Road Stoke. This means that passengers in Richmond will be able to take the faster express bus to Nelson City Centre or the hospital and vice versa.

Are the buses the same size as the current fleet?
The larger buses currently running on Routes 1 and 2 are 13.5m long. The new electric buses are 12.5m long and will run alongside the remaining diesel buses on Routes 1 to 6. There is also a smaller Mercedes Sprinter. These are 7m long and will be used for the new Stoke on Demand service.

What route services the airport?
Route 4 goes from The Brook, through the Nelson city centre interchange, into Tāhunanui and through to the airport. If you’re traveling from Tasman, you can change your bus to Route 2 that goes to Tāhunanui, then change to Route 4. Or travel to the Nelson CBD interchange and change onto Route 4.

How do I pay for my travel?
We accept cash for your journey. However, users with a Bee Card pay a lower fare compared to those paying with cash. Concessions such as a SuperGold Card or Community Services Card can be added to your Bee Card either online or in person at our customer service centre on Trafalgar Street. You can get a Bee Card from Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council customer service centres. You can also find them at public libraries in Nelson, Tāhunanui, Stoke, Richmond and Motueka, the Four Squares in Wakefield, Māpua and Brightwater, or you can order one online at beecard.co.nz.

Are all the buses electric?
Eighty percent of the fleet of buses that service our key routes (Routes 1 – 6) will be electric buses. The back-up buses that cater for servicing and overflow are not electric, so there will be some low-emission diesel buses operating on the network at times. The bus servicing the Stoke OnDemand route will be low emission diesel.