Transport from Selwyn to Christchurch: What’s cheaper, and at what cost?
Saturday, 17 May 2025
Four Empty Seats is a transport project from The Press looking at why Christchurch is such a car-centric city, dominated by single occupancy vehicles.
Is it better value for Christchurch workers who live in Rolleston to bus or drive to the city every day?
In the year to April 30 there were almost 23,000 passenger journeys on buses between Christchurch and Rolleston, according to Environment Canterbury.
The 110kph Christchurch Southern Motorway has up to 38,000 vehicles travelling along it a day, amounting to 13.8 million vehicles a year, according to New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
The Press has found the average 9am to 5pm worker driving to Christchurch from Rolleston could spend about $80 more a week than bus users, but save up to 11 hours taking their own vehicle to the city.
Let’s break it down.
Taking the bus - $20 a week, 11.5 to 15 hours of travel
Taking the bus from Rolleston to Christchurch and back each day during the week currently costs $20 for adults using Metrocards without a concession.
There are two bus routes passengers can choose — the 85 and the 5.
On the 85, the latest bus users can catch leaves at 7.40am from the free Kidman St park and ride, arriving at the bus interchange in the city at 8.11am.
The only option home on the 85 after 5pm is at 5.15pm — it is a 47 minute trip back to Kidman St.
On the 5 route, the latest bus passengers can catch to get them to their work without a rush after arriving is the 7.22am, taking an hour to get to the interchange at 8.22am.
The first return trip after 5pm leaves the interchange at 5.27pm, taking an hour, with trips running until 10.10pm with the later ones a little quicker.
Overall, passengers using the park and ride would spend between 11.5 and 15 hours travelling to and from work week, depending on which service they choose, including 15 minutes to get to the bus stop and another quarter of an hour to walk to work, and the same on the return journey.
Based on average fuel efficiencies for the most commonly owned vehicles in New Zealand — the Ford Ranger, Toyota Aqua, and Toyota RAV4 — if a bus commuter was to drive 5km to and from the park and ride each day, that would add about $6 - taking the total cost of a week’s commuting to $26.
Taking the car - $32.70 a week, 4 to 6.5 hours of travel
If a motorist was to start from the same point on Kidman St in Rolleston and travel to the city using the Christchurch Southern Motorway, that trip would be 24km to the Christchurch bus interchange.
The latest a Rolleston driver can leave home is 8.15am to make sure they arrive at the bus exchange in Christchurch by 8.45am, giving them 15 minutes to get from whereever they park to their workplace.
Travel time could be between 20 minutes and 30 minutes, depending on traffic, Google Maps suggests.
A person starting their trip home at 5.15pm could arrive back at Kidman St at about 5.55pm, after an estimated journey time of between 22 minutes and 40 minutes, depending on traffic.
Based on the same vehicles as above, drivers would spend about $32.70 on fuel a week for the 230km distance.
That cost excludes parking, if it has to be paid for. Early-bird parking with Wilsons costs about $70 a week, taking the total travel cost to $102.70 a week.
Each week, the driver will save between five and 11 hours taking their car to work.
At best, they will spend $12.70 more than the bus users if they have a free car park and never get stuck in traffic. At worst, it would be $82.70 more if they pay for parking and are always stuck in traffic.
So, is it worth taking the bus? Sort of
Rolleston resident Lawrence Ford and his wife say yes, but not from Kidman St.
They bus daily, but never from that bus stop as there is almost never any room, he said.
“You’re very lucky if the buses stop at Kidman St after the first two. It’s become so popular that people want to use it, and then because every bus is full they can’t.”
One Rolleston resident, who did not want to be named, said he used to take the bus in, but overcrowding and too few buses left people stranded at bus stops.
Rather than hope he gets a seat on the Rolleston buses, he drives to the city and catches a bus from Avonhead, which are more frequent.
“I just park on the outskirts of town because parking is like $14 to $20 a day. That means $5000 a year. Now I pay $2 to get into town.”
He said it was worth paying a little but more money for the comfort and reliability of his own vehicle instead of hoping to get a seat on a stuffed bus with about 30 other people.