David Bettany and his two daughters, Margot and Georgette, love biking, but he says it's a struggle with the lack of integration with buses.
David Bettany and his two daughters, Margot and Georgette, love biking, but he says it's a struggle with the lack of integration with buses.
Auckland Transport has confirmed it is “reviewing” its bikes on buses ban, as one of the few cities nationwide that doesn’t offer bike transport on buses.
The potential reversal of the ban is not only being welcomed by cycling advocates but also by those who have found themselves in sticky situations when trying to enjoy Auckland by bike.
Auckland dad David Bettany got stranded with his daughters and their bikes downtown late last year when their train home was cancelled, and the replacement buses wouldn’t let them on.
“It was kind of seven o’clock at night ... getting dark. We were at Britomart down the bottom of Queen Street, it was getting busy on a Saturday night.
“I’ve got two young girls, you can’t get an Uber to put the bikes on, so we were just absolutely stuck.”
A bus driver eventually broke the rules and took them home.
“It wasn’t really an issue of space, to be honest.”
Bettany said the disconnect between public transport and biking is at odds with what the council and Auckland Transport (AT) are trying to promote for Auckland.
“From my perspective, it’s a real frustration, because I’ve got two young girls and I’m quite passionate about getting them into biking.
When he contacted AT about the issue, he was told Auckland bus stops are too short to accommodate bike racks on the front of buses.
“It seems like a no-brainer.”
Auckland Transport’s website says only collapsible bicycles and scooters are currently allowed on its buses.
Across the country, buses are equipped with bike racks including in Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga, Hastings, Napier, Nelson and Dunedin.
AT’s head of cycling, Adrian Lord, didn’t give a timeline for the review but said the organisation is “considering possibilities”.
Auckland Transport's head of active modes, Adrian Lord. Photo / RNZ
“We’re constantly reviewing ways to improve trips for our customers with bikes.
“We don’t currently offer any cycle carriage on the bus fleet in Auckland.
“We are aware of customer feedback on this topic, and we are in the early stages of considering possibilities for bike carriage on some services,” Lord said.
AT’s website states that for the “safety of the passengers” bikes are currently not allowed onboard buses.
“We’re currently looking at an inside-the-bus option because previous work has identified some risks and operational issues about adding external racks to buses.
“We’d look to start a procurement within the next 12 months if all goes to plan.”
Bikes can be taken on AT trains and ferries - but only if it’s not too busy.
“We have new ferries under construction now and these will offer additional capacity, with over 20 spaces per ferry.”
AT said the majority of public transport stations, terminals and interchanges have some form of bike parking.
Bike Auckland chair Karen Hormann said bikes on buses would be a positive change but wouldn’t solve the most pressing issues for cyclists in Auckland.
