Diamond Harbour ferry bus stops to retain status quo for 28 service

Diamond Harbour ferry passengers will continue to be able to jump straight on to a bus after arriving in Lyttelton.

Environment Canterbury, working with Christchurch City Council and RedBus, has been in discussions with Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) for several months over plans to develop its land in the area adjacent to the Diamond Harbour ferry dock.

The area affected is where the 28 bus service (Papanui-Lyttelton) picks-up and drops-off passengers for the Diamond Harbour ferry.

The original development plans allowed for only one bus on the wharf, and no pick-up/drop-off zone. However, following discussions and further design reviews, space for two buses has been accommodated – which retains the status quo.

Environment Canterbury’s senior manager public transport Stewart Gibbon said, “We are delighted with the outcome. This means the 28 bus service can continue to pick up and drop off at the wharf, maintaining convenient connectivity for the 28 service and the Diamond Harbour community, who strongly advocated for the service to remain.”

“The area is complex with many different uses. Ensuring safety for pedestrians, staff and buses, while maintaining port operations and public transport connectivity, was a critical outcome for all parties,” Mr Gibbon said.

The new design means all 28 services will continue to pick-up and drop-off at the wharf, however once changes are complete, the 535 service (Eastgate-Lyttelton & Rapaki) will no longer go to the wharf and will operate solely from the Norwich Quay bus stop.

An updated timetable for the 535 service will be available online at metroinfo.co.nz before the changes take effect.

There will be no change to the 28 service timetable, however there will be some disruption while LPC’s construction is completed. Dates and further details will be provided once plans and timelines are finalised.