Public transport in New Plymouth has evolved through several phases: an electric tramway (1916–1954), a trolleybus system (1950–1967), and municipal battery, petrol and diesel bus services that continued until 1991. Since then, bus services have been delivered under contract to private operators. A major expansion of the network took place in 2010,[2] and in the mid-2020s the Taranaki Regional Council began planning a further network refresh, scheduled for implementation in April 2026, alongside a proposed rebranding of services as Te Pahi Taranaki.[3]
Public transport in New Plymouth is jointly managed by two local authorities. The Taranaki Regional Council is responsible for planning, funding, and contracting bus services across the region, while the New Plymouth District Council owns and maintains the infrastructure, such as bus stops and shelters. Operation of the services is contracted to Tranzit Coachlines, which runs the services under the Citylink brand.[4]
This model has been in place since 1991, when the deregulation of New Zealand’s bus industry and the sale of municipal fleets led to services being transferred from council ownership to private operators. The regional council continues to subsidise and regulate bus services to ensure coverage across New Plymouth and surrounding communities.
Service Network
Frankleigh Park bus on Frankly Road
The New Plymouth bus network is marketed under the name Citylink. The network includes a combination of urban, suburban, and inter-town routes.
Urban services: Nine core city routes (Routes 1–9) operate within New Plymouth itself, providing links between the central business district (CBD) and suburbs such as Westown, Merrilands, Spotswood, Brooklands, and Fitzroy.
Town services: Two longer-distance routes extend beyond the city boundary: Routes 19 & 20 both run to Bell Block and Waitara. Additional services link Inglewood and Stratford with New Plymouth.
Service levels: Buses generally operate on weekdays only with very limited Saturday services within the city. School services also supplement the regular network at peak times.
The CBD functions as the main interchange point, with most routes terminating or passing through the central bus stop cluster, enabling connections between services.
On 31 May 2010, the network underwent a significant expansion as part of a trial programme to boost ridership. The changes included extended operating hours and improved route coverage. Funding came from both the council and NZTA. Following public consultation and evaluation, the expanded network was confirmed as permanent in 2012.[5]
Further reforms are planned as part of a network refresh due to take effect in April 2026, which is expected to reorganise routes and timetables to improve both frequency and coverage. See Future Developments section for more.
Amenities and accessibility
All buses on Citylink urban routes are equipped with bike racks, which passengers may use free of charge.[6]
Fares & Ticketing
Bee Card, used on buses in New Plymouth since October 2020 for fare payments
Public transport in New Plymouth currently allows passengers to pay fares using:
Bee Card: Since October 2020, the Bee Card has been the primary cashless ticketing option for Citylink services in Taranaki, enabling "tag on, tag off" convenience and typically offering lower fares compared to cash payments.
Cash: While still available for all riders, cash fares are generally more expensive than those paid using the Bee Card.[7]
Transition to Motu Move
A nationwide ticketing platform, Motu Move, is set to replace existing regional smart card systems—including the Bee Card—across New Zealand from 2025 through 2026. Taranaki is scheduled to transition to Motu Move in early 2026.
Motu Move will offer multiple payment options:
Contactless debit or credit cards (and compatible smart devices),
Prepaid Motu Move smart card,
Pre‑purchased tickets.
All payment modes will allow concessions (e.g. student, SuperGold) to be loaded uniformly and will apply the same fare regardless of payment method.[8]
Routes
The Citylink network is organised to serve three key categories of routes—urban, weekend, and inter-town services—each designed to meet specific travel needs within the district:
Urban routes (1–9): Operate daily across New Plymouth’s suburbs, with most services originating or terminating in the central business district. These routes ensure broad, frequent coverage within the city.
Weekend-only routes (10 and 11): Cover East and West corridors on Saturdays only, with two return journeys each, complementing weekday service when demand is lower.
Inter-town route (19/20): The Waitara–Bell Block–New Plymouth corridor operates via a complex combination of variants that historically have challenged passengers’ ability to interpret its timetable.
The following table outlines the key characteristics for each route, including served suburbs, major destinations, and distinctive routing details:
Multiple variants of routes 19 & 20 operate, creating a complex timetable that has been noted as difficult for passengers to navigate.
History
Public transport in New Plymouth began with privately operated horse buses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1916, the New Plymouth Borough Council opened an electric tramway system, which formed the backbone of urban transport until the early 1950s. From 1950, trolleybuses replaced the Westown trams, until trolley services ended in 1967.
Petrol and diesel buses, introduced from the 1920s, ultimately became the sole mode of public transport under New Plymouth City Transport - the municipal operator - which continued until deregulation in 1991. At that point, the fleet and operations were sold to Gold Star Bus Lines, a Hamilton-based company that later collapsed.
In December 1991, Okato Bus Lines assumed many of the city routes, employing several former City Transport staff and operating older buses.[9] The services they took over were those considered commercially viable. Services to Merrilands and Frankleigh Park were initially serviced by the New Plymouth Taxi Society,[10] and night and most weekend services were withdrawn, leaving only two Saturday loops.
In the mid-1990s, Okato also took over the New Plymouth–Waitara (via Bell Block) service after Withatruck Coachlines went into receivership, consolidating the main urban and regional routes under one operator.
In 2006, the Council launched a two-year trial of expanded, subsidised services operated by Okato.[9] On 1 July 2008, following the trial, Tranzit Coachlines purchased Okato Bus Lines and assumed control of the full network—including school services—under the new Citylink brand, which continues to operate today.[11][12]
Rail
New Plymouth has never operated suburban rail services for passenger transport, although regional and intercity services once operated through stations, including Central City, Eliot Street, Fitzroy, Smart Road, Egmont Road and Bell Block. The last rail serviced ended in 1983.
Future developments
Network refresh (2024–2026)
In late 2023, the Taranaki Regional Council consulted on the future of transport services in the region with its Better Travel Choices work, which explored preferred destinations, service frequencies, and weekend coverage.[13] Building on that input, the council launched the “Where to next?” phase in May–June 2024, presenting two network redesign options: one emphasising high-frequency direct routes, and the other offering broader geographic access with slightly lower frequency.[14] Ultimately, the community favoured a "balanced network" incorporating both direct connections and wider destination coverage. Funding-dependent, the new network is slated to begin in April 2026.
Branding and identity refresh
Running in parallel with network planning, a rebranding initiative—dubbed "On the Horizon" - launched in March–April 2025.[15] By July 2025, the name Te Pahi Taranaki ("The Bus Taranaki" in te reo Māori) was proposed along with a fresh logo and colour palette.
Community response was mixed, with survey participants giving an average rating of 2.51 out of 5. Earlier engagement had also revealed a strong desire for brand symbols reflecting Taranaki’s identity—such as Mount Taranaki, coastal motifs, te reo elements, and simplicity in design—alongside alternative name suggestions like Te Pahi Riua or plain-English options like Taranaki Bus. The rebranding is expected to be finalised in mid-2025, with full rollout—including signage, digital assets, and vehicle liveries—planned to coincide with the network launch in April 2026. Approximately $50,000 was budgeted for the rebrand, which will be introduced alongside the refreshed network and contracts.[16]
Fleet decarbonisation
Taranaki is also moving towards a greener fleet. In April 2024 the region introduced its first electric bus on Citylink services, funded partly through Waka Kotahi’s Climate Emergency Response Fund. The vehicle is expected to eliminate about 50 tonnes of CO₂ annually, has a range of more than 300 km, and is charged overnight at Tranzit’s depot using net-zero electricity.[17][18]
Ticketing transition: Motu Move
Ticketing is also being modernised. In early 2026 Taranaki is scheduled to transition from the regional Bee Card to the national Motu Move platform. Motu Move will allow passengers to pay using contactless debit and credit cards, smart devices, a new prepaid smart card, or pre-purchased tickets, with concessions applied consistently across all modes.[19]
SW – locality that was formerly part of the defunct South-West Ward until 2022; NPC – locality that was formerly part of the defunct New Plymouth City Ward until 2022; nonCB – area not within a community board
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