Slow commute ahead as bus strike continues

Train operator Connex has increased its carriages and frequency to accomodate bus commuters.

It could be slow trip home for Auckland commuters tonight as bus drivers from the region's main bus fleet Stagecoach continue an unprecedented six-day strike.

Extra bus services have been arranged from other companies by the Auckland Regional Transport Authority and every available taxi and extra train services has been pressed into action to accomodate about 30,000 passengers who use buses to get in and out of the city each day.

Stagecoach today repeated it's call for the strike to end but said it would seek a binding ruling from the Employment Relations Authority as soon as it could.

About 1000 drivers stopped work after both sides went to a formal facilitation led by the government's Employment Relations Authority.

The company agreed to the facilitator's recommendation on a settlement but the drivers did not and went on strike, the company said in a newspaper advertisement today.

The company offered 7.6 per cent in the first year. Over three years the increase was 14.8 per cent with a $600 cash offer. The drivers want $16 an hour and better conditions.

This morning as passengers looked for other ways of getting into the city, traffic on the city-bound motorways was only slightly heavier than usual.

Police said there had been no significant problems. Most passengers appeared to have made earlier arrangements and bus shelters were not jammed with passengers looking for rides from private cars.

The strike stopped school buses as well as city-bound buses and congestion at schools around the city was expected to get even heavier as parents picked their children up from school.

Dozens of Auckland Girls' Grammar students were late to school today with many using the bus strike as an excuse.

The school said 167 students entered class late and more students than usual did not turn up at all. At least one student spent last night at a friend's place, so she could be closer to school and would not have to rely on the buses.

Every available taxi was on the road but taxi drivers said the congestion caused by people taking private cars into the city instead of buses was likely to extend trip times around the city.

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority said several other bus companies had offered to provide extra capacity but there were a limited number of buses and drivers.

As the morning wore on traffic congestion grew and by 8am a drive along the Northern Motorway which would normally take about 20 minutes took more than an hour.

Extra train carriages were packed for the ride into the Britomart centre and express buses into the city run by other operators were stopping on request for passengers.

While Stagecoach buses are off the road, other operators will provide extra service as follows:

Birkenhead Transport Limited:

* Limited bus service from Takapuna Transport Centre to Downtown Auckland between 9am to 2:30pm, and 6:30pm to 9pm on weekdays.
* Limited bus service from Takapuna Transport Centre to Downtown Auckland between 8am to 6:30pm on weekends.

Ritchies:

* Limited bus service from Mt Roskill Shops to Britomart Transport Centre (via Dominion Road) between 7am to 7:30pm on weekdays.

* Limited bus service from Mt Roskill Shops to Britomart Transport Centre (via Dominion Road) between 8:30am to 5pm on weekends.

* Limited bus service from Swanson railway station to Henderson Transport Centre between 6:20am to 6:30pm on weekdays.

* Limited bus service from Swanson railway station to Henderson Transport Centre between 8am to 5pm on weekends.

Howick and Eastern:

* Existing express services will stop at all stops on request

Urban Express:

* Existing Green Bay express services will stop at all stops on request


- NZPA, Newstalk ZB, Herald staff