KEY POINTS:
Auckland's railway service meltdowns cast a long shadow yesterday over an annual report to regional councillors of public transport achievements.
Among progress recorded in the Auckland Regional Transport Authority's report was an 11 per cent increase in public transport trips into the central business district - to more than 32,000 commuters each week-day morning - as well as an 18.4 per cent rise in region-wide rail patronage.
After a 47.2 per cent increase in patronage on Northern Busway services, the authority was able to report a 22.1 per cent boost to Auckland's "rapid transit" network, along dedicated public transport routes.
The authority recorded a less impressive 4.4 per cent increase in overall public transport patronage for the year to June 30, to 54.4 million trips, after modest increases on other bus routes and an 0.5 per cent decline in ferry ticket sales.
But a 4.5 per cent increase in North Shore suburban bus patronage after a redesign of routes is spurring plans by the authority to overhaul services in other sectors.
The authority is also preparing to take advantage of controversial new bus and ferry contracting legislation to assist progress towards point-to-point fares for all public transport trips using electronic smart cards by 2010.
But with the Government still considering an Auckland Regional Council application for a special fuel tax to pay for electrification, problems dogging the existing rail network pre-occupied a discussion by councillors yesterday of the annual report.
Council transport chairwoman Christine Rose congratulated the authority and other rail agencies for milestones including new stations and more track duplication, but said all their efforts were put at risk under "a big cloud of horror" of major service failures.
"The credibility of our enormous investment is at stake," she said in reference to signals failures both on Tuesday and last week, in which she was among thousands of disrupted rail passengers who faced hours of delays.
Council chairman Mike Lee said it was not only the new Helensville rail service, on which Ms Rose is a regular commuter, that was on trial.
"It's the whole service that's really on trial, each and every one of us who is involved in the rail project. We have to strenuously endeavour ... to improve these serious glitches."
Transport authority chief executive Fergus Gammie attributed 61 per cent of "passenger delay minutes" to infrastructure problems under the control of Government agency Ontrack, including signals failures and speed restrictions required around rail construction projects.
Mechanical problems to rolling stock caused 15 per cent of delays, and operational difficulties under rail operator Veolia's wing were responsible for 14 per cent.
But Ms Rose said it was important for "the multiple agencies in this fractured system" to work harder together rather than blame one another.
Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey is calling on the transport authority and Ontrack to attend his council's monthly meeting next week for a "please explain" session.
"I've received dozens of phone calls from irate commuters who say they won't ever use the rail service again," he said yesterday.
"And who can blame them?"
