Wellington's bus service has experienced multiple problems and complaints following a change of provider contracts in July this year.

Commuters have lost confidence in Wellington's public transport system and there's a risk "a generation of people" will choose not to ride the bus.

Rongotai MP and former Wellington deputy mayor Paul Eagle hosted a packed meeting about the beleaguered capital bus system at Newtown Community Centre on Sunday night, when the organiser said an estimated 120 to 130 people showed up.

Eagle said he'd been receiving about 500 emails a week about the new bus system, which has been plagued by problems since it came along in July.

STUFF Wellington's Uber drivers have received an unanticipated windfall after the city's bus network was overhauled.

He said Wellington used to have the best public transport system in the country and the bus service had been a big part of that. The saga had been damaging to the city's reputation and to public confidence.

READ MORE:* Wellington's faltering bus network a win for Uber drivers

* Nine-year-old boy kicked off Wellington bus and made to get into car with stranger

* Bye bye blue: Wellington buses ditch controversial blue lighting

* Putting the brakes on bus chaos – how to fix public transport tendering

"The regional council does need to look very, very hard at what they can change quickly to make [the bus system] usable.

"Transport for Wellington has always been an emotional issue. We saw that with the Island Bay cycleway.

"At the moment [the bus service] is not seen as reliable. People have lost confidence in the system. It's difficult encouraging people to get out of their cars. The worst thing that could happen if we don't fix this, is we could get a generation of people who don't get the bus."

The meeting was hosted by the Greater Wellington Regional Council. People were given the opportunity to address officials about the faltering transport system following contract changes in July.

Two more meetings are scheduled in Kilbirnie and Karori later this month.

Eagle said the number of people at the "fiery" meeting showed how much Wellingtonians cared about and relied on public transport.

Greater Wellington regional councillors Daran Ponter, Roger Blakeley, Ian McKinnon and council chairman Chris Laidlaw attended the meeting but did not address the audience, instead absorbing what members of the public had to say about the new system.

The reliability of the services, new timetables, the reflection-reducing blue interior lights and an enquiry into the council's decision making around the implementation of the system were all points of discussion.

Eagle said the merits of the Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) legislation, which set out a commercialised model for public transport was also called into question.

Other stakeholders such as bus drivers and the union also took the opportunity to speak.

Further public meetings about the bus system will be held on: