KEY POINTS:
New statistics prove what most rush-hour bus passengers already suspect - buses are involved in hundreds of crashes every year, and the numbers are rising.
John Collyns, head of the Bus and Coach Association of New Zealand, said Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) fines imposed on late buses were "certainly" behind some of the statistics, and a "natural incentive" for drivers to speed.
ARTA said it in no way condoned or encouraged unsafe driving.
Last year seven people died and 241 were injured in crashes involving buses, according to Ministry of Transport figures.
High-profile cases recorded so far this year include:
Rongfa Jiang (53) died after being hit by a Stagecoach bus on busy Dominion Rd, Auckland, on April 18. A 45-year-old driver is facing charges of failing to stop and ascertain injury after a fatal crash.
Three tourists had their right arms amputated after a tour bus rolled near Tokoroa on February 10. All 15 tourists on board were injured and the driver, Seong Won Lee (40) pleaded not guilty to 11 charges of careless use of a motor vehicle causing injury. Last week he was on bail but still allowed to drive buses.
A woman had to be cut from her crushed car on April 29 after colliding with a bus in Ponsonby, Auckland. The woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A tour bus plunged off a bank near the Franz Josef Glacier on April 21, injuring two passengers. Police are investigating the accident.
Statistically, Auckland was streaks ahead of any other region, accounting for 71 of the 169 crashes last year that caused injury or death, and 164 of the 455 non-injury crashes.
Some of those statistics were down on other years, and figures for 2007 are unavailable.
But last year, the city topped the list in terms of the sheer number of crashes - 624, up from 574 in 2005, and 567 the year before.
Auckland commuters were last week eager to share horror stories of speeding and overcrowded buses lurching around corners, throwing passengers out of seats and clipping cars on the way past. Many bus passengers spoken to by the Herald on Sunday said they had felt scared at the speed some drivers travelled.
Collyns said: "It is an issue, we accept that - but on the other hand there are large numbers of bus drivers who are skilled professionals and want to make their passengers feel comfortable. There are time pressures and they are not helped by ARTA who fine operators that run late.
"It does have the negative impact of giving drivers a strong incentive to make up time. I would be loath to claim that is the overwhelming reason, but it certainly does exist."
Collyns said Land Transport NZ was developing a safety rating system to rank each operator. Elements that would be taken into account included random audits, operator and driver offences and bus maintenance.
"Operators at the bottom end would be targeted for attention and required to lift their standards. Every operator's rating will be published, so that you can go online and see," Collyns said. "Our association strongly supports that approach."
Another initiative that Collyns thought should be made compulsory was an Industry Training Organisation driver programme called Tranzqual, which taught drivers customer service skills and how to handle buses better.
"Customers should take a much more proactive approach to this ... We do take training seriously. But it's really up to the customer to say, 'we want your drivers trained'."
Crash statistics reflected the number of vehicles on the road, Collyns said, adding that he thought the number where bus drivers were at fault was "gratifyingly low".
He said drivers were dealing with congested traffic, "incredibly rude" car drivers and "arrogant" customers.
Steve Wade, spokesman for NZ Bus, responsible for the Stagecoach service, would not say how many complaints or commendations the company received, nor how many times it had paid a late fine.
He would also not say how much the company was fined each time, saying that was a question for ARTA.
And Mark Lambert, customer services manager for ARTA, would not reveal even ballpark figures for the fines, or how many were given out. He did say that ARTA supported the Tranzqual and safety rating plans.
Horror stories
* A bus driver last year stopped at the Balmoral/Dominion Rd, Auckland, intersection, left the bus running and jumped out to abuse the driver of a car in the next lane. Passengers were stunned he left the bus, running, on a hill at one of the country's busiest intersections.
* A woman from Mt Eden in Auckland said she and other passengers yelled out "driver, driver" after the bus they were travelling in scraped along the side of a parked car on Mt Eden Rd one busy afternoon. But the bus driver continued as if nothing happened.
* An elderly man was flung to the ground because he wasn't strong enough to hold onto the rails as a bus went around the Panmure roundabout in east Auckland one morning.
* Two weeks ago, a visitor from Hamilton was disgusted to see a fellow passenger masturbate in the seat nearby, then clean himself up and disembark.
* And a good news story. One driver is famous in his particular corner of Auckland - singing, clapping and with a big cheery "welcome aboard" for every passenger. He often drives the Great North Rd route.
At a glance
* There are 17,175 licensed buses, 2058 in Auckland city.
* There are about 2200 permanent and 500 part-time bus drivers. They are paid about $16 an hour.
* 75 bus occupants were injured in crashes last year and seven other road users died in bus crashes.
* 166 other road users were injured in bus crashes between 2002 and 2006, no bus passengers were killed.
* Auckland buses accounted for 235 of last year's 624 crashes in which buses were involved.
