Improving public transport for Selwyn

Better bus services for Rolleston to City

We’ve heard from people in Selwyn that Rolleston needs better bus options.

From 1 September, Metro and Bentley Coachlines services will operate direct buses along two new routes, 84 Rolleston Direct West and 85 Rolleston Direct East. These combined services will run as a six-month trial.

A new approach for public transport

Environment Canterbury delivers Metro public transport services in Greater Christchurch in partnership with local councils, bus and ferry operators and New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

Earlier this year, Council adopted the Annual Plan 2025/26 and approved a ratepayer-funded trial to improve Route 85 (Rolleston–Christchurch).

In June, Bentley Coachlines proposed a new commercial commuter service—and it’s a great opportunity to try something new and innovative. We paused work on investigating Metro Route 85 improvements and collaborated on a coordinated timetable between Metro and Bentley services. As a private operator, Bentley Coachlines is not subsidised and does not rely on ratepayer funding.

Share your experience

This is a new hybrid approach to delivering transport options for Rolleston commuters, and we want your feedback!

🚌💬 Share your experience using Metro and Bentley services anytime

📢 Subscribe for updates and find out when our surveys go live

Together with Bentley, we’ll review feedback regularly and run surveys mid-way through the trial and at the end to help decide what’s next.

Better bus services for Rolleston to City

We’ve heard from people in Selwyn that Rolleston needs better bus options.

From 1 September, Metro and Bentley Coachlines services will operate direct buses along two new routes, 84 Rolleston Direct West and 85 Rolleston Direct East. These combined services will run as a six-month trial.

A new approach for public transport

Environment Canterbury delivers Metro public transport services in Greater Christchurch in partnership with local councils, bus and ferry operators and New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

Earlier this year, Council adopted the Annual Plan 2025/26 and approved a ratepayer-funded trial to improve Route 85 (Rolleston–Christchurch).

In June, Bentley Coachlines proposed a new commercial commuter service—and it’s a great opportunity to try something new and innovative. We paused work on investigating Metro Route 85 improvements and collaborated on a coordinated timetable between Metro and Bentley services. As a private operator, Bentley Coachlines is not subsidised and does not rely on ratepayer funding.

Share your experience

This is a new hybrid approach to delivering transport options for Rolleston commuters, and we want your feedback!

🚌💬 Share your experience using Metro and Bentley services anytime

📢 Subscribe for updates and find out when our surveys go live

Together with Bentley, we’ll review feedback regularly and run surveys mid-way through the trial and at the end to help decide what’s next.

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  • Really appreciate the addition of the Bentley bus direct service to and from Rolleston. I’ve used hail and ride for every trip and it’s great that it’s now close to home. I hope this service continues, it’s really made getting to work so much easier, and not to mention many options for times to get the bus home again. Lots of room now, and no one left standing. Please keep it going !

    Scarlet asked 8 days ago

    Kia ora Scarlet,

    Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. It's great to hear about the positive impacts this is having.

    Ngā mihi, 

    The Metro Team

  • Hello, I was wondering if it would be possible to introduce audio announcements either around the interchange and/or inside. This would make the space more accessible and helpful for people with vision impairments. Thank you for considering this.

    Julia asked 28 days ago

    Kia ora Julia, and apologies for the late reply to your question - we've looked into this and unfortunately our systems can't make an announcement as the buses don't enter the interchange. Our Metro staff are always willing to help, so do feel free to ask at the counter for help getting the bus, and the bus will never leave before its scheduled time. You can download the integrated timetable with both Metro and Bentley departures here. For people who are blind or who have low vision we also do offer cards with the route numbers on them and they're available at the Metro counter.

    Ngā mihi,

    The Metro team

  • Can you add audio announcements for the bus interchange as my partner is blind and it's made it very tricky for him to catch the service now

    asked 28 days ago

    Kia ora and apologies for the late reply to your question - we've looked into this and unfortunately our systems can't make an announcement as the buses don't enter the interchange. Our Metro staff are happy to help make sure your partner gets the right bus, so he's welcome to ask at the counter for assistance. It will never leave before its scheduled time, and you can download the integrated timetable with both Metro and Bentley departures here. For people who are blind or who have low vision we also do offer cards with the route numbers on them and they're available at the Metro counter.

    Ngā mihi,

    The Metro team

  • The new direct system is fantastic! The increase in flexibility for leaving times is a lifesaver for those who work different shifts each day. The 10 minute intervals allow for flexibility when running late or early. This new system has made bussing not only cheaper but more convenient for commuting than driving in yourself or car pooling. 10/10!! Thank you so much, please keep this new system going!

    Annon asked 9 days ago

    Kia ora,

    Awesome! Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. It's great to hear that you're having such a positive experience with this service.

    Ngā mihi, 

    The Metro Team

  • This is fantasic providing more options as the busses were always so full! I'd love it if there was a slightly earlier bus as i start work in town at 6 :(

    Maddy asked 12 days ago

    Kia ora Maddy,

    Thank you for taking the time to share your suggestion of an earlier morning bus.

    We have noted your feedback towards this review; we appreciate it!

    Ngā mihi, 

    The Metro Team

  • Great work putting in Bentley bus for extra capacity for rolleston commuters! Really necessary. Great to have additional departures in the morning and afternoon. Great to have hail and ride option as well as signal at metro stop. Great to have Pay wave option. Please keep this system going! Thank you!

    Silvy asked 9 days ago

    Kia ora,

    Thank you for getting in touch - this is great feedback to hear. We're so glad the new service is working for you!

    Ngā mihi,

    The Metro Team

  • I commute from Ashburton but the buses were always overflowing and they didn't have any later buses in the afternoon so I couldn't catch the bus so having extra routes is great and the bus wasn't over crowded this morning. Hopefully the extension is permanent because it saves on parking each day. Suggestion as the Bentley Bus isn't on the Metro schedules this would be helpful.

    Bree T asked 16 days ago

    Kia ora Bree, great to hear that the extra routes are making the trip more convenient for you. Because Bentley is a separate commercial service, we haven't been able to integrate the schedule in our journey planner, but we do have a copy of the combined schedule for both Bentley and Metro that can be downloaded here. We're planning to run two short surveys—one during the trial and one at the end—so you’ll have more chances to give your feedback too as we evaluate the trial and consider next steps.

    Ngā mihi,

    The Metro team

  • I started out hailing down buses on Rolleston Drive only to find I had to go on a 20min Contiki tour of Rolleston before exiting Rolleston. I now go to the Kidman Park and ride where I’m 20min closer to work and 15min closer to home that over half an hour of time I can use productively if the 84 was reversed it would work better for me :)

    Richard Gould asked 16 days ago

    Kia ora Richard - yes, we can appreciate that it's a better strategy for some just to go straight to the Park and Ride! We've captured your feedback for the review, thanks for getting in touch.

    Ngā mihi,

    The Metro team.

  • I appreciate the extension of the routes to include more parts of Rolleston but this is not the way to go. Metro already has not so great journey planning tools and now this service is not even shown in there. This and the fact that users cannot pay using their metro card makes the public transport system more complicated and difficult to use. The goal should be to streamline the service not fragment it. I understand Bentley is a commercial operator but they need to be integrated into the metro system. Payments, Transfers and journey planning. Without it, the service can only be used by people who specifically know about it.

    HendrikB asked 26 days ago

    Kia ora Hendrik, 

    Thanks for taking the time to give us your feedback. We do appreciate that as a hybrid public/private initiative people do need to navigate two different services and there are some extra steps in terms of journey planning and payment. We've tried to streamline and coordinate the schedule and route to reduce any friction points as much as possible.  Working with Bentley has meant that we've been able to act rapidly and expand Rolleston direct services to a greater degree that we otherwise could have with limited resources available. We think that the benefits to the community make the service worth a go - and this is a still a trial, so if you use the service and have additional feedback, we'd be keen to hear from you again.

    Ngā mihi,

    The Metro Team

  • Amazing work to provide 16 buses each way per week day, lots more choices for Rolly commuters, welldone team and thank you very much for that! On the highlights: 1. I've tried the hail and ride service, which is great as I live around Northmore Blvd, so just takes me a few minutes to catch the 85bus, awesome. I took early buses so not too many stops for hail and ride so far but this could become problematic if people hail the buses often. In the future, could we have bus stops on Northmoor Blvd (infront of Farringdon Community Garden) would be ideal? 2. Bentley coaches are spacious and comfortable, and helps to reduce the load on Metro buses. I feel more comfortable having a seat while others also have a seat. 3. I can now go home from work after 3.00pm or catch a late bus 4. Bentley drivers are well on the job while still learning the route, thanks! On the other side: 1. Would be great if Bentley has concession/monthly passess (not have to wait for the paywave approved), or somehow Metro has a special way of payment for Bentley+metro85. 2. It was so cold and windy waiting outside to depart from city at the Bus interchange, in the future could we move back inside?

    Em asked 19 days ago

    Kia ora Em, and thanks for the great feedback. We're so pleased to hear that the service has improved your experience. We're monitoring drop offs and pickups during the trial along the hail and ride section of the route including Northmoor Boulevard, which could inform future implementation of stops by Selwyn District Council. We'll pass your request for passes onto Bentley - unfortunately because Bentley is a commercial service we don't have a way of offering a ticketing service that's integrated with Metro. We hear you about it being cold and windy waiting outside at times, you can definitely wait for the bus inside the interchange until it's due to leave (it will never leave early), and this is something we'll need consider as part of the trial review. Please feel free to give us any additional feedback about the service over the next six months - this is a new way of working for us, and we're considering all the feedback we hear from customers.

    Ngā mihi,

    The Metro team

    . 


Page last updated: 29 Sep 2025, 08:48 AM