Chaos for some, fun for others during strike

Auckland's trains took on record passenger loads yesterday on the opening day of the bus strike, and endless streams of cars dominated the roads.

Operator Connex reported an 80 per cent increase to more than 5000 passengers on morning services. Many trains were crammed to so-called "crush" capacity.

Safety considerations meant many guards gave up trying to collect fares through packed carriages.

"The conductor said he wouldn't charge us. He was just worried about safety. Isn't that great?" Mt Albert resident Dick Opie said after leaping out of a double-length train at Kingsland on his way to work.

Not everyone was so gleeful.

Guards could squeeze only about 40 more people into the four-carriage train at the station, leaving another 15 or so disgruntled passengers still waiting on the platform.

And about 50 passengers were left behind after almost 200 people piled on a train at New Lynn at 8.10am.

"Buses are starting to look more attractive to me," said regular passenger Simone Randle, stranded at Kingsland and facing a second day of turning up late to work after a train broke down on Wednesday.

One bus service that was operating was a shuttle between the Mt Roskill shops and the Britomart centre, provided by Ritchies Transport.

But the Auckland Regional Transport Authority did not have time to post notices about the service, meaning there were only two or three people in each bus.

By 8.15am there was a river of traffic for about 4km down Dominion Rd. Some traffic took an hour to get from Mt Eden to the city.

Cut-rate "earlybird" city carparks were full by 9am. The Northern Employers and Manufacturers Association said none of its members had untoward "sickie" outbreaks.

On the homeward struggle, rail passengers stood packed at Britomart, waiting for trains running late due to heavy loads. "It's horrible, trains are full and I'm missing classes," said Auckland University student Kidane Shibeshi.

North Shore bus users enjoyed the novelty of catching ferries.

"It's quite nice for a change," said Rachel Homburg of Northcote, whose support for the bus drivers remained unjaded.

- STAFF REPORTERS