Brian Rudman: Lockout shows Infratil puts itself first, city second

With their National Government mates promising to look after them where Auckland public transport is concerned, the pin-striped merchant bankers of Infratil would have been smart to have kept their heads down.

But they couldn't help themselves, arrogantly locking their uppity Auckland bus drivers out of work for the crime of asking for a living wage.

One of the locked-out drivers summed up the issue on television on Friday evening when he put the simple question, if rubbish truck drivers are worth $20 an hour, then why are bus drivers paid only $14 to $17.

Only a few days ago, my bus had to take an unscheduled stop outside the public toilets in Victoria Park. The driver locked his money box then made the long and very public march to spend a proverbial penny. Chances are, he was on a 12-hour plus day as well, having to work a split shift, hanging around in the middle of the day for up to four hours unpaid.

Hard as it might be for the bankers to fathom, the 80,000 passengers inconvenienced by the lockout are sympathetic to the drivers, not to those trying to label them troublemakers.

It's as though with National in power, Infratil and its NZ Bus subsidiary feel they can drop any pretence about which side they're on.

Already, after furious lobbying and legal stalling tactics, the bankers have forced the postponement of any decision on the development of Auckland's long-planned integrated ticketing system, which will enable people to travel the region using various transport modes, on one ticket.

Wellington-based Infratil bid for the job against international competition and lost. Ever since it has been trying every trick in the book to try to reverse that decision.

Infratil also seems to have persuaded the new Government to repeal parts of the landmark Public Transport Management Act. From the end of this year, as old contracts expire, the act will, among other things, force bus operators to open their books to the ratepayers of Auckland to justify the $94 million in annual passenger transport subsidies.

This year, Infratil chief executive Marko Bogoievski told shareholders they "got totally hammered" by the passage of this act. However, Infratil director Tim Brown reassured them that all was not lost. "We've been given assurance by the Government that they will amend it."

Mr Brown added it was up to Infratil to make sure the Government was "kept aware" of this pledge.

Whether the bloody-minded disruption of the travel plans of 80,000 Aucklanders was the cleverest way of keeping Infratil in the Government's eye is a moot point.

The "total hammering" Mr Bogoieveski was complaining about was simply a requirement that NZ Bus open its books wide enough to prove it deserves the huge subsidies. Act leader Rodney Hide didn't think it was punitive when he voted for it.

He joined the Labour Government, the Greens and the Maori Party, to ensure it passed. He said that what the act required was exactly what you would do if you were "looking at getting best value for money".

The act also gives the Auckland Regional Transport Authority more control over routes and conditions of service.

It could possibly specify minimum wages and conditions for the Auckland drivers. Perhaps that's one reason NZ Bus wants it gone.

Certainly, with the new system to be phased in from the beginning of next year, Infratil is eager for the quick emasculation of the legislation.

Hopefully it has overplayed its hand with the lockout and reminded Mr Hide why he supported the act.

Over the past year, passenger transport patronage in Auckland irose about 10 per cent.

How much the private operators' income and profits rose as a result only they know, and they're not required to say under the existing law.

It's a good guess that with income up, the need for ratepayer subsidies is down. But no operator has refunded any subsidy money. All they're doing is screaming poor.

With the lockout, NZ Bus has shown that Auckland comes a poor second to its own self-interest.

It's a lesson the Government should consider long and hard before doing Infratil any more favours.