Authorities say it will be the final piece in the puzzle of the game-changing overhaul of the city's public transport network.

Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown

It is expected to streamline services and change-overs making life easier for bus users.

But the project has been beset by delays and budget blowouts, and its construction has raised the ire of local businesses and even Dunedin's police.

Originally planned for a mid-2016 opening, the bus hub will be unveiled on 20 March 2019.

However, Otago Regional Council said it's better late than never.

Councillor Michael Deaker, a bus user himself, said the end result would be a "dream system".

"It's all about getting more people on buses," he said.

"The hub, therefore, is a major step forward because it makes the whole system more centralised, more simple, more easy-to-use."

He, along with others in the council, said the change would go ahead with little fuss - unlike Wellington's bus service overhaul which caused public outcry last year.

About $3 million was first mooted - but that number was only a placeholder, the council's support services manager Gerard Collings said.

Then $4.4m was set. And so far $5.4m had been spent but the final figure was not yet available.

About $400,000 was because the Dunedin City Council upgraded its infrastructure which ran under Great King Street - where the hub is located.

Mr Collings said the public could be confident it was money well spent and the roll-out would be smooth.

"I'm comfortable that staff have done everything in their power to ensure this is a smooth as possible transition to the bus hub," he said.

"That said, we expect there will be some issues. We have modelled the traffic flows but people don't always react as you expect them to."

'Bus patronage on the rise in Dunedin'

Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown

Also looming was a revamp of the central city's roading network for the Dunedin Hospital rebuild in the coming decade.

Council chair Stephen Woodhead said the bus hub's location was ideal considering the uncertainty.

"Bus patronage is on the rise in Dunedin and combined with earlier improvements to the network, the new hub will deliver a connected and efficient service to the growing number of people choosing to take the bus," he said.

"It's going to streamline services for passengers, improve traffic flow through town, and set a great foundation for our growing public transport needs."

Dunedin City Councillor Kate Wilson, chair of the Infrastructure Services and Networks Committee, said the hub was a big step forward in making public transport easier for Dunedin residents.

"Public transport is vital in our city and important as a mode of choice. It will provide an affordable alternative while also addressing climate change challenges."