Riding the O-Bahn in Adelaide
The O-Bahn is a guided busway that carries buses from the city to the north-east suburbs without traffic lights.
As of 26 October 2026. Fares and free-travel rules in 2026 have been changing quickly. Treat every dollar figure and date here as a guide, and check the official page linked at the bottom before you rely on it.
What it is
Buses leave the road, slot onto a concrete track and are guided along it. The first buses ran on 9 March 1986, and the final stage, a 670-metre tunnel into the city, opened in 2017. Today the busway takes passengers the 15 kilometres from Tea Tree Plaza via Paradise and Klemzig to the city centre in under 20 minutes. It carries 26 bus routes and around 890 weekday services. It’s officially considered a road.
Paying
Adelaide Metro fares are the same on buses, trains and trams, and each fare covers two hours of travel for any distance. You can pay with a rechargeable metroCARD, Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay (a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card or enabled phone or device) or the Buy & Go app.
On the Adelaide Metro fares page on 26 October 2026, a regular fare was $4.75 in peak and $2.70 off-peak on metroCARD, Tap and Pay and Buy & Go. Concession and student fares are lower, and they need a concession or student metroCARD or the Buy & Go app, since Tap and Pay may not be your best option.
Peak and off-peak
Peak is before 9 am and from 3 pm Monday to Friday, and all day Saturday. Off-peak is 9:01 am to 2:59 pm Monday to Friday, Sundays from 4 am to midnight, and all day on public holidays.
Riding it
- Check the destination on the bus: O-Bahn routes fan out to different suburbs.
- The busway stays inside its guided track, so it moves past city traffic.
Free travel in the city
Free city connector buses link popular city destinations. The 98A and 98C large loop (through the city and North Adelaide) runs every day. The 99A and 99C small inner-city loop runs Monday to Friday. The buses start just before 7 am and finish at 7:15 pm, with Friday buses finishing at 9:15 pm.
The city tram between the South Terrace stop, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Festival Plaza and the Botanic Gardens is also free, and so is the Jetty Road tram between Brighton Road and Moseley Square. You don’t need a metroCARD to use free services. If you stay on past the free section you need to pay.
After midnight
On Saturday nights, after midnight buses run between midnight and 6 am Sunday.
Sources
- Adelaide Metro: fares (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- Adelaide Metro: Tap and Pay (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- Adelaide Metro: free and special services (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- Adelaide Metro: city connector (checked 26 Oct 2026)
- Department for Infrastructure and Transport: O-Bahn turns 40 (checked 26 Oct 2026)
Checked 26 October 2026. Rules and prices change: the official page is always right.
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