Trains and boats and - buses

We go to the four corners of the Auckland commuter compass to see how public transport stacks up.


If you try hard enough, Auckland buses, trains and ferries can get you to work on time from far-flung suburbs.

But it is the degree of trying that is likely to keep commuters in their cars.

The Herald sent reporters into Thursday's commuter dawn to retrace the journeys of its four featured travellers - Margaret Stephens, from Murrays Bay on the North Shore; Inspector Alex Robinson, from Pukekohe; Serena Balston, from Swanson in Waitakere City; and Rochelle Wordsworth, from Howick in Manukau east.

The reporters' mission was to use public transport to retrace the car trips of the four and get to work on time.

The results show that while public transport was available, it required an earlier start and longer travelling times, factors which failed to persuade our commuters to abandon their cars.

Another common reason was the flexibility of car use, particularly for longer work hours or after-work appointments.

Some felt the public transport options were not regular enough to rely on.

Cost comparisons were difficult, depending on the carparking and running expenses, but were reasonably similar. For outer-suburb commuters the $99 monthly Stagecoach bus concession fares ($5 a working day), covering most of Auckland, probably make that option cheaper than petrol, general running and carparking costs.

JOURNEY ONE: Reporter Jason Collie by bus and train from Margaret Stephens' Murrays Bay home to Penrose for an 8 am start.

Margaret's usual departure time: 7am.

Average trip time: 1 hour.

Jason Collie's departure time: 6.20 am.

Trip time: 1h 37m.

Travel log: Left Margaret's home at 6.20 am for the walk to Rothesay Bay shops to catch the 6.25 bus into town, via East Coast Bays and Takapuna.

Things looked bleak when the bus was stuck for 10 minutes in a jam at the bottom of Esmonde Rd, but once on the bus priority lane alongside the Northern Motorway it was away. Arrived in Victoria St a couple of minutes late at 7.07, but a Link bus arrived at the same stop within four minutes. Outside the Auckland Railway Station seven minutes later with enough time to buy a ticket and reach platform 3 for the 7.30 to Papakura. It was delayed more than five minutes. From Ellerslie station, I walked for six minutes down Great South Rd to the Automobile Association, Margaret's workplace, arriving three minutes before her 8 am start time.

Not many people on the buses, but standing room only soon after the train left the city. Total cost $6.80 (bus $3.80, Link $1 and train $2 - half a $4 return ticket), although with the monthly bus concession and 10-trip train ticket that could get down to $4.30.

There were three options for the journey. Taking the bus and train or two buses would take about the same time. The third option, including a ferry crossing, would take the longest and cost the most - about $7, with monthly concessions.

Margaret's reaction: Margaret was taking a break from the traffic this week and enjoying a holiday. But she said earlier that having a company car and carpark kept her behind the wheel despite the slow crawl to work.

JOURNEY TWO: Reporter Scott Kara by bus and train from Inspector Alex Robinson's Pukekohe home to the Auckland Central police station for an 8 am start.

Mr Robinson's usual departure time: 6.45 am.

Average trip time:1h 10m.

Scott Kara's departure time: 6 am.

Trip time: 2 hours.

Travel log: A friendly "Good morning" at 6 am at a Pukekohe bus stop. Relaxed and helpful locals who commute from Pukekohe to Auckland City and other places in between almost make up for the long journey ahead.

Left with about 10 other commuters on the (supposed) 6.12 to Papakura to meet the 6.45 train to Auckland Railway Station. Late departure meant commuters wanting to catch the 6.30 bus to Auckland from Papakura were destined to miss out. Luckily, the two buses crossed each other at a roundabout in Papakura and the passengers made it.

Meeting the train in Papakura was a breeze, even in the rain. The train bumped and ground its way past the backyards of South Auckland, through the scenic Orakei Basin to the main station, arriving at 7.36 am.

Problems struck as too many people from the train tried to board a bus heading to Customs St and Queen St. The driver told a number to wait for another bus.

A lack of drivers was the problem, he said, something the company did not acknowledge publicly. In Customs St 10 people in the aisle had to get out to let two backpackers off.

Left bus at Mayoral Drive four minutes before 8 am. A brisk walk took me to the police station with no time to spare but it felt like half the day had gone.

The Pukekohe-Papakura bus cost $3, the Papakura-Auckland train $4.30 and a bus up Queen St, 50c. Total $7.80. Concessions would take that down to about $6. The other option was a bus from Pukekohe to Papakura, $3, and a bus from Papakura to Symonds St, $5.10. Total $8.10, but with the monthly concession that would be only about $2.50. This bus travels along Great South Rd and comes into the city via Khyber Pass Rd rather than using the motorway. It arrives downtown at approx 7.30.

Mr Robinson's reaction: "I wouldn't like to be doing that every day."

He estimates his car costs at $10 a day, but he has his own carpark and also brings his wife to her job in the city. The shaky bus connection at Papakura underlined concerns about reliability.

"I still think public transport is the way to go but it has to be a little bit smarter."

JOURNEY THREE: Reporter Rebecca Walsh by bus from Serena Balston's Swanson home to Albert St, City, for an 8 am start.

Serena Balston's usual departure time: 7.15 am.

Average trip time: 45 mins.

Rebecca Walsh's departure time: 7 am.

Trip time: 45 mins.

Traffic log: Left Simpson Rd just before 7 to catch the 98 flyer. Only a two-minute walk to the bus stop in Hetherington St. The bus arrives on time (7 am) and heads off through Ranui and Henderson.

Traffic is starting to build up at roundabouts and intersections, but nothing problematic. The bus is just over half full. Some people make the most of the time to chat or catch up on study. One woman knits for the whole journey. As the bus slows the music coming from one commuter's Walkman booms throughout the bus.

Traffic is steady as the bus nears the Northwestern Motorway. The driver makes the most of the bus lane, whipping past crawling cars. Power poles feel all too close.

Before the Patiki exit the bus merges with other vehicles. Plenty of traffic but it keeps moving, albeit slowly. Just after the Great North Rd exit a car with a smashed bonnet is towed from the side of the road.

The traffic speeds up and the bus reaches Albert St just under 45 minutes after leaving Hetherington St.

A commuter from Ranui said a good trip from the Ranui Railway Station (a couple of minutes on from the Hetherington St stop) usually took about 35 minutes. Thursday's trip had not been too bad, she said.

With 15 minutes to spare before work at 8 am there was time for breakfast.

The 98 flyer costs $4.50 one-way (about $2.40 with the monthly concession). An alternative route, longer and slightly more expensive, would have been to take the 6.44 train from Ranui ($4.30), arriving downtown at 7.26, then a bus from downtown up Queen St for 50c.

Serena Balston's reaction: She would definitely catch the bus if her husband was not also commuting to the city. The car gives him the travelling flexibility he needs in a job with irregular finishing times, and he also uses it at work. Costs were not a big factor either way.

She said that buses other than the peak-time flyers took up to an hour.

JOURNEY FOUR: Reporter Warren Gamble by ferry and bus from Rochelle Wordsworth's Howick home to Auckland University for a 9 am start.

Rochelle Wordsworth's usual departure time: 8.10 am.

Trip time: 50 minutes.

Warren Gamble's departure time: 7.10 am Trip time: 1h 10m.

Travel log: Left at 7.10 for the 12-minute drive to the Half Moon Bay marina to catch the 7.30 Fullers ferry.

First on get first shot at hot coffee and muffins, the paper, and window seats. Passengers swell to 140 - the boat can carry 300.

The ferry pulls out on Tamaki River, past plush Bucklands Beach properties looking like Australian Gold Coast canal homes. The views, the coffee, the comfortable seats make it a pleasant, if early, start to the day. In between showers it is still warm enough to brave the open area upstairs, with views of Rangitoto and other gulf islands. Or you can watch the cars crawling along Tamaki Drive.

A short 35 minutes later, at 8.05, we are docking at the Ferry Building. A four-minute walk gets us to the Britomart bus terminal. Buses heading up Symonds St to the university leave every few minutes. We are outside Rochelle's library workplace at 8.20.

A 10-trip ferry ticket costs $54, and the bus trip is only 50c. The other option is the 7.50 bus from the main street in Howick - five minutes' walk from Rochelle's home - which reaches Symonds St at 8.45. A 10-ride ticket costs $39.

Rochelle Wordsworth's reaction: She has recently moved to her parents' Howick home to save money, and with petrol and a cheap carpark at the university she is spending about $40 a week. The ferry option would be dearer and mean getting up an hour earlier. A car is also flexible for later finishes, but she would consider the bus option.