Ritchies Transport
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founder | John Ritchie |
| Headquarters | New Zealand |
Area served | New Zealand |
Key people | John Ritchie (leader until 2010) |
| Products | Bus and coach services |
| Owner | KKR |
Ritchies Transport is a privately held bus operator in New Zealand, owned by KKR. Established in 1972, it stands as the largest private bus and coach company in the country, operating a fleet of more than 1,500 vehicles distributed across depots nationwide. Additionally, Ritchies possesses a 46% ownership share in InterCity.
History
Richies Coachlines was originally established in Temuka in 1937. Leadership was under John Ritchie from 1970 until his passing in July 2010.
In 2014, the company invested $18 million to develop a new depot in West Auckland, which accommodates 132 buses.
On 8 May 2019, Ritchies completed the acquisition of Birkenhead Transport, taking over its bus operations starting 13 May.
Services
Ritchies provides coach travel for package tour businesses and operates urban bus routes, often contracted by local councils:
- Auckland: The main urban bus operations are situated in Swanson and Albany, serving areas including West Auckland, Helensville, and the North Shore. The company also manages the high-frequency Northern Express NX1 service on the Northern Busway under Auckland Transport’s contract.
- Blenheim: Under an agreement with Marlborough District Council, Ritchies runs Blenheim’s local bus system, operating two primary loop routes.
- Christchurch: Following deregulation, Ritchies entered the Christchurch urban market with routes using buses acquired from multiple operators. In January 1997, it sold its urban contracts to Christchurch Transport Ltd but retained ownership of its buses. Later that year in November, Ritchies acquired the assets of Red Bus Ltd, which provides urban services connecting the airport area to southeastern parts of the city.
- Dunedin: Since merging Turnbull Motors, Peninsula Motor Services, and Southern Services in 1975, Ritchies has occasionally operated Dunedin’s urban routes. From July 2011 onward, it has managed routes including Opoho–Shiel Hill, Pine Hill–Lookout Point, and University–Concord.
- Queenstown: In 2016, Ritchies purchased Connectabus, Queenstown’s private public transport operator. The following year it acquired Alpine Connexions in Wānaka, incorporating Queenstown–Wānaka routes into its network.
- Timaru and Temuka: Originating from Timaru, Ritchies has operated four urban bus routes there under contract to Metro since June 2010; these services were formerly run by Christchurch Bus Services. The company also operates the route between Timaru and Temuka.
Incidents
On Christmas Eve in 2016, a Ritchies coach was involved in a crash between Auckland and Gisborne resulting in three fatalities among passengers and several injuries. After prosecution by Worksafe NZ, Ritchies was fined $210,000 and required to pay $750,000 in compensation to those affected.
See also
- Public transport in New Zealand
- Public transport in Auckland
- Public transport in Christchurch
- Public transport in the Otago Region
- Public transport in Invercargill
- Public transport in Wellington