Tauranga's summer holiday crowds will be able to catch the bus at least two hours later into the evening during weekends and public holidays.
Bus services connecting the Mount and Papamoa with the downtown will be the main beneficiaries of the trial from December 28 to February 2, adding up to $110,000 to the Bay's heavily subsidised bus services.
The trial follows complaints of overloading and weekend buses not running late enough into the evenings.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council's transport operations officer, Mike Furniss said the demand for evening services from the Mount far outstripped capacity, to the extent people were being left behind at bus stops because buses were full.
Changes to Routes 1, 2 and 33 were approved at yesterday's meeting of the council's public transport committee. It will also impact on when the last buses leave Bayfair, Pyes Pa, Greerton and Windermere (Cambridge Rd).
It brings the weekend hours into line with the Monday to Friday timetables on the three routes. For instance on Route 1, the last bus from the Mount shopping centre will be extended by two-and-a-half hours to 8.55pm.
The frequency of services will also be increased to normal weekday levels.
Later weekend trips will be trialled on the city's eight other routes, similar to the weekday schedules.
The committee ruled out the introduction of an express service for Papamoa during the morning and evening rush hours. Mr Furniss said that by definition an express service would not stop at all the places where commuters wanted to board.
Hopes to link Baypark into bus timetables have also been ruled out because of timetable difficulties caused by the detour into the complex. Bus stops would not be allowed on the highways that ran past Baypark.
The funding split for last year's $8.3 million cost of public transport in Tauranga was 32 per cent fares, 34 per cent the regional council and 34 per cent the NZ Transport Agency.