Nelson Tasman bus service sees 101% increase after one year of eBus

Nelson Tasman residents have embraced the future of public transport with enthusiasm, taking 931,328 journeys on the new eBus service in its first year.

The fleet of 17 new Foton electric buses rolled out on 1 August 2023. 

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says there has been strong growth in patronage since the eBus service was introduced, with the number of journeys jumping from 462,055 in the final year of the former NBus service, to 931,328 in the first year of eBus - a 101% increase. 

“The region can be hugely proud of having the first electric bus service of this scale. The expansion of the bus frequency and destinations to cover 3885 kilometres each day has helped drive a doubling in use.  

“Our new eBus service has had a few bumps and will need continued refinement. We are doing a one-year review to look at how it can be further improved. Our goal is to further grow the service to achieve a million journeys a year,” he says.  

While Nelson previously had a bus service, public transport in this format is new to Tasman. 

“eBus has had a massive impact for our communities,” says Tasman Mayor Tim King.  

“Over 70,000 journeys across the Motueka and Wakefield routes is a testament to how essential these routes are for us. 

“Add to that, the peak hour overflow buses and the Motueka bus at capacity in the school holidays, and you can see a real appetite for public transport in Tasman,” he says. 

Route 7 is the overflow bus that follows Route 1 from Richmond to Nelson in the morning and vice versa in the afternoon. It only travels during weekdays, collecting students and commuters.  

The overflow has connected a further 20,000 passengers to the network that would otherwise have had to rely on private transport. 

Patronage data from the first month of eBus was viewed as a positive indicator of what was to come. An immediate increase from July (NBus) to August (eBus) was clear and the numbers continued to rise. Patronage has fluctuated over the year but aligns with standard movements in public transport such as winter patronage numbers.  

Nelson City Council Group Manager Infrastructure, Alec Louverdis says patronage peaked in March 2024 at 91,687, but there are no signs of a plateau as improvements continue to be made. 

“Thanks to funding from NZTA Waka Kotahi, both Councils have installed shelters, solar lighting and wayfinding signage across the network. 

“Nelson City Council has installed 18 new bus shelters across 16 sites including the Tāhunanui interchange on Muritai Street and busy routes like The Brook. 

“This funding also allowed us to upgrade the shelters at the busy hospital interchange where we will also install solar lighting."

In Tasman, 16 bus seats have been installed with new shelters in Wakefield and Motueka.  

Funding from NZTA Waka Kotahi also covered the installation of wayfinding signage across the whole network. These signs were added to each bus stop to indicate to passengers which routes frequent the stop. 

A number of passengers say the new service is much better suited to their needs and is fit for purpose. 

Bus user Gina says “navigating wet streets on a bike can be tricky; I’d rather enjoy a cozy bus ride than risk a slippery adventure on two wheels.  

“Arriving at work dry and warm makes me much more productive in the morning,” she says. 

An incentive from her workplace to use public or active transport is a further incentive, along with the cost savings. 

The eBus came along at the right time for 71-year-old Robert. 

“My little runabout had finally given up the ghost and my health was deteriorating so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to continue driving.  

“I saw that The Brook was one of the new routes so thought I’d wait to see whether I could replace my car with the bus."

Four months later, eBus launched with a bus stop outside Robert’s house. 

“I have a Supergold card and travel off-peak, so travel is free for me. I use the bus 3 – 4 times a day, for hospital appointments, to get to the library and everything in between,” he says. 

In the year since the launch, there has been various additions and adjustments.  

In April 2024, eBus started a trial to allow large dogs onboard with a muzzle. To date, this trial has been considered a success and Council will be seeking to extend it through the summer months.  

Council has been seeking feedback on the new service via the eBus Shape page, with timetable scheduling, Bee card queries and route requests all common themes. 

This feedback will be taken into account during the upcoming one-year review of the eBus service, with a focus on route timetables. 

Some early changes have already been made in response to passenger feedback. 

In July 2024 for example, the first timetable adjustment was made for Route 5 and Route 6. 

Alec says it’s about providing a public transport system that works for its users. 

“The previous timetable wasn’t consistent with actual travel time, didn’t have proper allowances for passenger boardings and was putting too much pressure on the schedule." 

The eBus service will continue to be improved and upgraded, with plans (subject to NZTA funding) to see the Motueka and Wakefield routes extend to the weekends, and a park-and-ride facility for Richmond. 

One exciting change coming is the new national ticketing solution, Motu Move. The solution will be rolled out region by region and is currently planned to launch in Nelson in 2026.  

“Motu Move will bring a new way to pay for your bus,” says Alec.  

“Passengers will be able to use their debit or credit card to tag on and off public transport throughout Nelson and around the country.”