Public transport networks in New Zealand:Which brands are most popular in search?
In August 2026, Metlink was the most searched among public transport networks in New Zealand, with an estimated 69.2K branded searches and 48.6% estimated Share of Search within this set.
Metlink48.6%
Auckland Transport39.9%
Metro Christchurch7.6%Busit2.2%
Baybus1.7%
Follow public transport networks and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Share of SearchLeaderboard
Compare the city bus, train and ferry networks New Zealanders commute on. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Metlink, Auckland Transport, Metro Christchurch, Busit. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Metlink | Auckland Transport | Metro Christchurch | Busit | Baybus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 46.3% | 42% | 7.7% | 2% | 1.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 46.1% | 42.2% | 7.8% | 2% | 1.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 50.3% | 37.5% | 8.3% | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 46.5% | 42.2% | 7.3% | 2% | 2% |
| Feb 2026 | 48.7% | 39.8% | 7.6% | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.9% | 41.1% | 8.6% | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 51.5% | 36.9% | 7.7% | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 46.7% | 40.5% | 8.5% | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 53.3% | 35.9% | 6.8% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 49.2% | 38.9% | 7.4% | 2.6% | 2% |
| Aug 2026 | 48.6% | 39.9% | 7.6% | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — |
This month’s ranking, August 2026
| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 48.6% | 69.2K | -4.1% | -0.5 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 39.9% | 56.8K | -0.54% | +1 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 7.6% | 10.9K | +0.18% | +0.2 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 2.2% | 3.1K | -18.6% | -0.4 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 1.7% | 2.4K | -17.4% | -0.3 points |
1.
Metlink48.6%
held 1st · 69.2K estimated branded searches · -4.1% vs prior month · -0.5 points
39.9%
held 2nd · 56.8K estimated branded searches · -0.54% vs prior month · +1 points
7.6%
held 3rd · 10.9K estimated branded searches · +0.18% vs prior month · +0.2 points
4.
2.2%
held 4th · 3.1K estimated branded searches · -18.6% vs prior month · -0.4 points
5.
Baybus1.7%
held 5th · 2.4K estimated branded searches · -17.4% vs prior month · -0.3 points
Compare search popularity between leading brands
- Metlink vs Auckland Transport: compare search popularity
- Metlink vs Metro Christchurch: compare search popularity
- Auckland Transport vs Metro Christchurch: compare search popularity
- Compare any of these brands
Which brand is most popular in search among public transport networks in New Zealand?
5 brands
In August 2026, Metlink was the most searched among public transport networks in New Zealand, with an estimated 69.2K branded searches and 48.6% estimated Share of Search within this set. Auckland Transport is in 2nd place, 8.7 percentage points behind at 39.9% Share of Search.
| Brand | Share of Search | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metlink | 46.3% → 48.6% | 53.3%Jun 2026 | 45.9%Mar 2026 | 1st |
| Auckland Transport | 42% → 39.9% | 42.2%Jan 2026 | 35.9%Jun 2026 | 2nd |
| Metro Christchurch | 7.7% → 7.6% | 8.6%Mar 2026 | 6.8%Jun 2026 | 3rd |
| Busit | 2% → 2.2% | 2.6%Jul 2026 | 2%Nov 2025 | 4th |
| Baybus | 1.9% → 1.7% | 2%Jul 2026 | 1.6%Jun 2026 | 5th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Metlink’s estimated Share of Search among public transport networks in New Zealand increased from 46.3% to 48.6%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Auckland Transport’s estimated Share of Search among public transport networks in New Zealand decreased from 42% to 39.9%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Metlink’s estimated Share of Search among public transport networks in New Zealand peaked at 53.3% in June 2026 and was lowest at 45.9% in March 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Auckland Transport’s estimated Share of Search among public transport networks in New Zealand peaked at 42.2% in January 2026 and was lowest at 35.9% in June 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Metro Christchurch’s estimated Share of Search among public transport networks in New Zealand peaked at 8.6% in March 2026 and was lowest at 6.8% in June 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Metro Christchurch, Busit and Baybus held steady: their estimated Share of Search among public transport networks in New Zealand each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand public transport networks in August 2026?
3 changes
In August 2026, Auckland Transport gained estimated Share of Search among public transport networks in New Zealand, from 38.9% to 39.9%.
In August 2026, Metlink lost estimated Share of Search among public transport networks in New Zealand, from 49.2% to 48.6%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Baybus in New Zealand fell 17.1% over 11 measured months, from 2.9K to 2.4K in August 2026.
See your own brand in this picture
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to your campaigns, spend and outcomes, so you can see what moved your numbers, not just that they moved.