Fuel costs spike promising Rolleston-Christchurch bus service

Wednesday, 27 May 2026

A Bentley Coachlines bus arrives at the Christchurch bus interchange before making a run to Rolleston. The company has decided to stop the service due to rising fuel costs.

Rising fuel costs have forced a private bus company to abandon its Rolleston-Christchurch service, despite a surge in passenger numbers, with Environment Canterbury (ECan) stepping in to keep buses running.

In March, bus passenger numbers jumped 37.5% and 39.5% on routes 84 and 85 between Christchurch and Rolleston.

But on Tuesday, Bentley Coachlines confirmed it could not continue providing bus services between the two centres. Owner Liam Bentley blamed fuel costs - which have surged this year due to the war in Iran.

The Bentley service was particularly favoured by ECan - which delivers public transport in the province - because Bentley did not get subsidies.

Bentley is a commercial bus company that was hoping fares alone would produce a sustainable service. Together with ECan, a trial was devised to test the proposition.

The company was given about half of the Metro time slots in the busy morning and early evening rush hours.

The Bentley service was launched in September and was doing at least as well as the Metro services.

Then came the war in Iran, which started on February 28. Bentley’s passenger numbers jumped from 4178 in February to 5744 in March - a 37.5% increase.

Metro’s passenger numbers jumped from 4619 in February to 6443 in March, a 39.5% increase.

Numbers returned to more normal levels in April, the most recent month for which data is available.

Bentley will continue operating its Rolleston buses, with a subsidy from ECan, while alternative bus operations are organised.

Metro buses also operate on the Rolleston route and passengers are not expected to feel the loss of Bentley.

ECan staff estimate these other operators will need a $810,000 subsidy for the Rolleston route.

Some of the money will come from a targeted rate that will hit rate payers in the “Selwyn part of greater Christchurch”, ECan public transport director Giles Southwell said.

The targeted rate was approved in ECan’s 2025-26 annual plan but suspended when the Bentley trial was proposed.

On Tuesday, ECan councillors endorsed the targeted rate for Selwyn, with only Mid-Canterbury/Ōpākihi councillor Ian Mackenzie opposed.

Rate payers in Rolleston and Selwyn sent a “clear message” at the local body elections in October that “user pay” should increase for bus riders and targeted rates - which hit property owners whether they ride buses or not - should decrease.

The size of the targeted rate has not been determined, ECan said on Tuesday.

Councillors Joe Davies and John Sunckell both stressed high population growth in Selwyn meant sustaining and growing public transport in the district was required.