A new trial bus service will be available to Aranui residents by the end of the month, Environment Canterbury announced this week.
The 110 trial route will run for a 12-month period, beginning on Monday, August 31.
This will be inner Aranui’s first bus service in over a decade, since the previous route was discontinued following the 2011 earthquake.
A shuttle route then operated between Eastgate and the Palms until its discontinuation in 2014, as a result of low patronage.
The reinstatement of an Aranui route follows a long battle by residents for better public transport connections.
In 2025, Radio New Zealand reported that one local resident had started a petition calling on Environment Canterbury to bring back a bus service, saying many elderly and disabled people were essentially struck in their homes.
Environment Canterbury public transport core service co-lead councillor, Ashley Campbell, said a number of reductions to the Metro network were attributed to economic restraints. This was a common issue during the immediate post-quake period.
While the new route will travel through Aranui, the journey starts in New Brighton and completes at The Palms Shopping Centre. The new service will run every hour.
Campbell encouraged residents on the east-side of Christchurch to make the most of the upcoming service.
“How well it’s used during the trial is one of the key measures we’ll use to decide the long-term future of the service.”
Other success measures will include cost recovery, subsidy per trip, and impact on private revenue ratio.
She added that Metro ambassadors will be present during the first week of the trial to assist those who are unfamiliar with their services.
Bus fares for the 110 route will align with the usual Metro bus fees ($3, or less with concession prices).
