21/09/2026
We're bringing double deckers to Rolleston on the very popular Route 84/85 Rolleston/City direct services.
Four new double-deckers are coming to Rolleston next year to lift capacity on these routes. These busses can carry up to 95 customers per bus, including 14 standing downstairs. That's close to double a standard single-decker, without adding another vehicle to the road.
Our first electric double-decker (in service since March) is the lightest in the country and the first that doesn't need a weight permit. Less wear on roads and bridges, less brake and tyre dust.
It's built with aerospace-grade aluminium, the same sort used in the Airbus A380. Four prototypes, two years of development, 30+ engineers, and about USD$6m of R&D to get it right for New Zealand conditions.
Metro now runs 71 electric vehicles, on the way to a fully electric fleet by 2035.And the demand is real. Routes 84 and 85 clocked 31,000 passenger trips in their first four months, 30% up on the same period the year before.
We're funding this through the public transport rate that's already in place in Selwyn. No new charge.
For now, you might spot a double-decker around Rolleston while we do route testing, checking clearances, turning circles and stop geometry.
