Latest News
Waihi beach service moves to two days
The ‘Town Connector’ Waihi and Waihī Beach to Katikati van service has now moved to two days per week.
Schoolhopper Route 315 will leave Short Place 10 minutes later from 06 August
This initiative is to encourage students to use the Schoolhopper bus service that drops off outside the school gate.
Route 33 will detour down Links Ave school days only
Update 13 Aug only the trip that departs Fashion Island at 8:00 a.m. will detour down Links Avenue meaning students can now get off at Links Ave and get safely to school.
19 Hewletts Road bus stop will be closed from 06 August
We are focused on creating good safety options for Mount Maunganui College and Intermediate students who catch the bus to school.
New bus app for Tauranga
The app will allow users to see the next buses arriving at their location, set a favourite route number, and plan their journey in real-time
New bus lane for Turret Road
A new bus lane will be installed from Hairini Street and along Turret Road
Cheaper bus fares for students, children and seniors
There is good news for some Rotorua bus users, with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council introducing fare concessions for the first time from July 1.
Children on board with public transport
A trip on the yellow Bayhopper bus always proves to be a fun way to get out and about for the children and teachers of Nature's Cove Preschool on Millers Road.
Winter Nights Winter Lights Extended Bus Service Hours
Bay of Plenty Regional Council have come on board with extended operating hours on most Bayhopper routes
School-led solutions guide bus service
After a lengthy period of discussion and engagement, Bay of Plenty Regional Council has released details around bus services for school students from 2019, ahead of the public transport Blueprint roll out slated for December 2018.
Potential free school bus options to be explored
The Bay of Plenty Public Transport committee is recommending partnering with Tauranga City Council and NZTA to do further analysis on whether public bus services could be made free for Tauranga school students.
Fantastic feedback for route 80 driver
Sun Media recently published a lovely story singing the praises of route 80 driver Baldev Singh.
New contractor and enhanced bus services
Bay of Plenty Regional Council is pleased to announce that it has awarded the new western Bay of Plenty bus contracts to NZ Bus.
Council congratulates creative colourers
A big congratulations to all the winners from our recent Schoolhopper Colouring Contest.
Cool in the Pool
Travel with a Day Saver pass and swim free at Baywave, Mount Hot Pools or Greerton Pools.
Free ANZAC park and ride
Free park and ride bus services will help ease traffic congestion at the popular Tauranga and Mount Maunganui ANZAC Day events this year.
Larger vehicle for Te Puke service
The new vehicle will address capacity concerns recently raised by users.
Proposed bus lane for Welcome Bay
New bus lane for Welcome Bay Road from James Cook Drive to Meadowviews Drive.
Changes for Papamoa to Mount Maunganui Schoolhopper services
Changes for routes 307, 309, 311, 313, 315 and 317
Increased congestion forces Welcome Bay Schoolhopper bus changes
High traffic volumes from Welcome Bay during the morning peak time commute has meant that a number of school bus services have been arriving late to schools this week.
Schoolhopper Colouring Contest
Get creative and win great prizes like scooters, bikes and skateboards in the Schoolhopper Colouring Contest!
Security cameras for Rotorua buses
Bay of Plenty Regional Council Public Transport Committee has recommended that security cameras should be installed on 20 Rotorua Cityride buses
New timetable for Town Connector
Passenger feedback has resulted in an improved timetable for the Town Connector service.
Bayfair construction may cause delays
Bus services that use the Bayfair interchange may experience some delays and minor rerouting from Monday, January 29 due to the development work at Bayfair.
Free Cityride buses
Celebrate the Te Aka Mauri Open Day on Saturday, February 3 with free travel on Rotorua Cityride buses.
Free Wi-Fi for Rotorua buses
An early Christmas present has arrived for Rotorua bus users with a free Wi-Fi trial on six Cityride buses.
Fill the bus a huge success
Tauranga successfully filled a Bayhopper bus for the Tauranga Community Foodbank.
Proposal for fast-tracked public transport changes
A proposal has been put forward to fast-track some proposed changes to public transport in Mount Maunganui and Papamoa to make the services more attractive.
2017 Christmas Parades
Take the stress out of finding a park at the Christmas parades and take the bus.
Free Ride Fridays just the ticket
Travel free on all BOPRC bus services between 4.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. every Friday during November.
Better bus for Te Puke to Tauranga travel
A more modern vehicle will address capacity and accessibility concerns on Te Puke bus services.
New bus contracts to help move western Bay
More frequent bus services, new bus routes and the introduction and trial of five, state-of-the-art hybrid buses will form part of western Bay of Plenty’s future public transport network
New service connects Waihi Beach, Waihi and Katikati
The new Town Connector is a circular route which will travel between Waihī, Waihī Beach and Katikati every Thursday
Free travel for Anchor AIMS Games
Bay of Plenty Regional Council have again committed to providing free travel on all Bayhopper buses to those with an official AIMS Games wristband
More buses and extended hours
Extended hours, new services and more frequent buses are just some of the recommendations the Bay of Plenty’s Public Transport Committee will be making to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Rotorua rack roll-out complete
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has completed the roll-out of bike racks on Rotorua buses, with Tauranga the next city in its sights.
City centre bus stands move to new temporary location
Some city centre bus stands have been relocated due to construction activity around the Tauranga City Council’s Administration building.
Real-time bus tracking
Our track-a-bus technology allows bus users in Rotorua and Whakatāne to track their bus in real-time.
Large print timetables
The Bay of Plenty’s public bus services have become more user-friendly and inclusive with the introduction of large print timetables for most routes.
Council impressed by public feedback
Council is delighted with the sheer volume of the public response.
Record passenger numbers for record haka attempt
Free travel on all eleven Cityride eke-taone bus routes on Saturday, 17th June.
Improvements to be made to Hewletts Road
The NZ Transport Agency is making changes to Hewletts Road to boost public transport use, improve safety and help to ease traffic congestion on the busy State Highway 2 route.
Passionate public response to proposed public transport plan
The importance of public transport to the Western Bay of Plenty has become undeniable, evidenced by the sheer number of passionate responses received in reply to the proposed bus network changes for mid-2018.
Improved ticketing for Bay of Plenty bus passengers
Bus passengers in nine regions will have improved ticketing by June next year.
New partnership for Western BOP
New partnership between Bay of Plenty Regional Council,The NZ Transport Agency, Tauranga City Council, Rotorua Lakes Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
Collaboration key to alleviating Tauranga congestion
A coordinated and holistic approach is being taken to help improve Tauranga’s congestion.
Day Saver Pass now available at Rotorua i-Site
A new partnership between Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Rotorua i-Site will see concession day fare passes available to purchase for just $8.20 from Rotorua i-Sites.
Whakatane and Eastern Bay Track a Bus trial goes live
Whakatane and Eastern Bay route maps are live! Check out the trial of live bus information, found under the Route Map tabs on the Eastern Bay routes. Only available in desktop view .
Use a Smartride card and save
Smartride cards save you money and mean you don’t have to carry cash! You can purchase your card and top it up on the bus, and then all you have to do is swipe it each time you travel.
Text for bus information at the stop
At the stop and want to know when the next bus is due? Tauranga bus users can find out by text. Follow the information on the signs at the stops to get information about the next three buses.
Rotorua Track a Bus trial
Rotorua route maps are live! Check out the trial of live bus information, found under the Route Map tabs on the Rotorua urban routes. Only available in desktop view.
Get to school with Schoolhopper
The Schoolhopper network is a dedicated school bus network for the Tauranga urban area. Find out more about routes and fares.
Changes to Katikati, Omokoroa and Waihi Beach services
From 9 January 2017 there are route and timetable changes to Katikati, Omokoroa and Waihi Beach services. Please check your timetable before travelling.
Free park and ride for Pete's Dragon screening
Bay of Plenty Regional Council have kindly put on a park and ride service for the event to help ease traffic congestion in the environmentally sensitive area
Toi Ohomai O-Week
Students region-wide will flock to campuses across the Bay from February 20th as classes return for 2017 and the annual Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology O-Week (orientation week) events kick off.
New express bus service for Te Puke
A new weekday express bus service will start from Monday 27th February to cater for an increased demand for public transport between Te Puke and Tauranga at peak travel times.
