KEY POINTS:
Bus passengers are being promised sweeping law changes offering them better odds of getting picked up on time, and by clean and safe vehicles.
Regional councils will be able to deregister commercial services which fail to keep to their timetables. Ministry of Transport officials are working on an incentive and penalty regime to apply before that happens.
Will this encourage you to take public transport or use it more?
What do you think?
Send us your views
>> Read the latest views
>> Read the story
>> Read Brian Rudman's view
Here is an earlier selection of your views:
Emily
I have lived in Hamilton for seven years and have only ever caught the bus. I can count on one hand the amount of times a bus has ever broken down on me, and, apart from the 9am and 5pm peaks, not more than 10mins late. We have a great integrated system in which all the buses come to a central collection point, and the option on a prepay card with significantly lower fare prices. There are buses now every fifteen minutes to the University from town, a free central-city shuttle. And my boss appreciates the fact that I am always a quarter-hour early! I get that Auckland is bigger, but surely there is a scaled up version of this that could work?
Graeme
While it would be nice to have buses run on time - say for example Friday when the 5.10 (from Britomart) 19F didn't turn up until almost 5.30, I think that forcing buses to be on time will only lead to danger on the roads. Bus drivers are dangerous and reckless enough as it is - running red lights, cutting off other drivers, weaving in and out of lanes etc and if they are to enforce any 'on time' measures I can only see it being worse! I would rather get home 20 minutes later than not at all.
Kel
Buses are not safe, and half of the time it is because the drivers are arrogant and do not really care about anyone else. I have to catch the bus each morning and afternoon, I always have to catch the bus that comes well over an hour before I start work even though its a 20 minute bus ride. If I catch anything later its unlikely to come or get me to work on time. If we can get bus drivers that can drive, and have them actually come on time, it would be great. But to do that, in most areas that would mean specific bus lanes, where cars are towed away within 15 minutes if they park there.
Zane K
As far as I am concerned, this is another example of poor planning within the local authorities. Shouldnt this problem be solved before the campaign to catch public transport was initiated?
Brian Bellingham
Crap, it will be a Yeah Right Poster and will never work in NZ. We dont have the population or enough that use it.
Jenny Thompson
If I believed we had a comprehensive and efficient public transport system in place in Auckland that could get me to my destinations in a timely fashion then I would most certainly use it, 90 per cent of the time. I love train & ferry rides and would quite happily sit each morning reading my book and/or listening to the radio if I could trust that the service was going to be on time at both ends of the journey. We do not have that reliability in this city. The buses stink, they are hot and uncomfortable & not regular enough. The trains are highly unreliable, and the ferry journeys are too few and far between. There are three excellent reasons for using cars that public transport continues to fail to provide - reliability, efficiency and comfort. As a society we are now, unfortunately, time critical, so until the government, councils and service providers get this right we commuters will stay in our cars. What a pity our successive "leaders" continue to lack the foresight and courage to sort this out once and for all. How many years has this debate been going on? For as long as I can remember, which is about the last 35 years.
Luke
The government definitely needs to be encouraging greater bus use, and integrated ticketing and more reliable timetable keeping should help. Just this morning, I was refused service on a Stagecoach bus because I had a Richies Fastpass card, and no other change. I had to wait 45 minutes for the next bus!
Prince D
I have come from a third world country. In my view where public transport is concerned Auckland has a lot to learn from Chennai in India. I wish to propose to the bureaucrats at the public transport operations to go to Chennai and learn from them how to provide an effective transport system. If they are too ashamed of going to a third world country, then at least go to the Netherlands to study the rail and bus network. To operate the buses and the trains on time they have to look into how the services operate according to the Swiss clocks in Geneva and other Swiss cities. This may sound hypothetical. Now my practical suggestions are:
1. Provide cheaper public transport services that will encourage public to catch a bus or a train. At present running a car seems cheaper compared to a bus ticket.
2. Declare an experimental period of 60 days with 50 per cent off the regular prices to test the public interest in the public transport. More passengers mean more revenue, less costly for the individual.
3. Make available monthly passes with affordable cost that could be used in trains, buses and ferries.
4. The bus network as it is in a very poor state. The routes do not connect through the suburbs adequately. Even to catch a bus people have to walk a couple of kilometers. This is time consuming and those who are unable to walk or short of time have no choice but to use cars.
5. There should be suburban buses that operate to bring the people to the buses or trains that operate on the main routes and one ticket for the whole journey.
I ask the ARTA and Hon. Annette King to take immediate steps to provide a perfect public transport system. If this operates well then there will not be a need to expand our motorways and tunnels to connect to North shore. As a couple of readers have mentioned we will be operating an environmentally friendly transport system with less fossil fuel consumption to run our cars.
Tim
One only has to look to Melbourne to see this model will work. Services have to run on time 97 per cent of the time for subsidies to be paid. The incentive is huge for the private companies and this in turn ensures an excellent service.
Adrian
The government can spend as much money as it wants on the existing train services for a clean green image. Unfortunately the train services are so limited that most Auckland suburbs do not have any train service at all. So I guess we will have to continue to drive on crowded roads to a railway station with limited parking to catch an expensive limited service. Doesnt sound like a plan for our largest city, compared to other overseas cities were there is a superb public transport system. Just look across the Tasman.
Alison
We live next to a train line that has two freight trains a day, (Waimauku in Auckland ) while thousands of us drive into the city clogging up motorways and adding to greenhouse gases. Why, o why cant there be two commuter services a day? We would love to use a reliable daily service for what is a 45 minute commute even in good traffic - 2 hours in the ever widening peak traffic zone. What can we do to get it to happen?
Glenys
I am sure it would be good to be ensured of the bus being on time, but I do hope they do not push so fast past the cyclists that they are endangered even more and forced off the road. After all they are also important road users, and assist in keeping emissions down, as well as the keeping a significant number of cars off the road. If it was safer to ride I am sure more people would ride to work and other places, and this in turn would also help our populations health, assisting them to get exercise and prevent obesity, another huge cost to our society. Perhaps this is another area that needs also to be looked at seriously, with cycle ways being a priority, and cycle parking to be provided at all shopping centres.
Colin Graham
Auckland is a major city by international standards with some fantastic attributes. However we operate a public transport system that does not compare well to grown-up cities - even if you go back to what they had 20 years ago or more. I am now at the point where I am embarrassed when I meet foreigners because of the sheer lack of investment and integration we have in Auckland buses, trains and ferries. We need: 1. Integrated ticketing and timetables across ferries, buses and trains; ie a single monthly pass that is zone oriented where you can use any mode of transport. 2. More frequent services. 3. Far greater reach of services (more track and stations) 4. Park and Ride facilities at non-stop direct service hubs. Most importantly, we need substantial local body subsidies and initial investment (ie loans to be paid back by the rate pool over the next n years) to get this implemented ASAP with cheap fairs if there is any chance of getting us out of cars and into an attractive public transport alternative.
Vernon
I am a final year business student at AUT. This is my view on Auckland's buses. Aucklands population is steadily growing. The road expansion(construction) projects is just what we need, but at the moment its way cheaper to drive to work rather than to use public transport. This is one of the main reasons why we have traffic jams in a city with just over a million people. The government needs to intervene into to the public transport sector (stage coach) and remove this conglomerate from its perched monopoly status (the same way it did with Telecom). The government also needs to focus on improving the railway transport routes (ie: railway stations at every suburb; parking facilities (park and travel).
Rehana
I live in Taupaki/Massey area. To get to my work, I will need 2 and at times possibly three buses each way. And the cost, $18 a day. And the time it takes to travel, about an hour to an hour and a half, because the buses go on the Northwestern Motorway. So how exactly it is going to help me get on the public transport, I have yet to figure out. It is a lot quicker by car hence I use my car everyday. What Auckland needs is a better investment in public transport. I would much prefer the train, which by the way, is not easily accessible where I live. Why can't the government create more connecting routes instead of just forcing buses to arrive on time. The buses will still be stuck in traffic, so arrival on time or not does not make a difference to the service.
Iona
It would be best if all the buses were run under one umbrella company, thereby getting one fare for an entire journey. At The moment from Howick to Royal Oak, I have to use Howick and Eastern up to Newmarket and then catch a Stagecoach. Not only have I to buy two monthly passes which is expensive and comparing to the stages travelled, it does not make any savings! Its cheaper & quicker to just drive my own car!!
F MacRae
I have two children who go to Carmel and Rosmini College. If my daughter wishes to take the bus to school, it leaves Onewa Road at 8am and takes more than the 40mins she has before school starts to get there. My son can take a school bus but this leaves our area 1hr before school starts. It is cheaper and easier for me to take them both to school as their tickets are $16 each per week. The Ministry of Education gave me a subsidy when we lived in Whangarei and my children travelled 10km to school and even then it only took them 35mins. We no longer get the subsidy as we now live to close to a bus stop here on the Shore. This is the age group we should be targeting to get them used to not using their cars to get to school or work and then we may see less congestion on our roads in the future.
Iris
No, it wont encourage me to use public transport, simply because it is just too inconvenience. I live in Albany and working in Penrose, it will cost me double the time and cost to get to where I work. I rather jam in the traffic then take two buses and the waiting time. The government should improve the efficiency of NZ public transport rather then wasting time and money to put new laws that do not even work. Law is not always the answer. To save our environment, we should still encourage having safe and clean buses, also extend to other motor vehicles especially heavy vehicles.
L
Until the service that is provided is efficient and reliable then I wont be using our pathetic public transport system. Just because local and central government say we have to use public transports isnt enough.We need an effective public transport system. Improve the services, the frequency, the price ,the staff ,the vehicles (buses and trains) then maybe people will make the switch and start using public transport. Simple really. It is time for Local and Central Government to put up or shut up.
T McKelvie
I am quite fond of the bus service I take. The drivers from Helensville to Auckland are all nice kind and helpful. The biggest deterrent I find is that the actual seats are too small for a modestly sized adult male to sit in. Something consistent through all the bus companies. Some you can not even tuck your knees in behind. Also something to consider when trying to make buses more popular is that we are not a nation that enjoys sharing seats. I have noticed in particular younger passengers and females keen to use their bag to reserve the seat beside them. Future planning and bus routing should perhaps take that into account. Another frustration is that the bus lanes must share with bicycles. Cycling and mopeds are fine as a mode of transport however when you put them in the bus lane you slow the bus to cycle speed which defeats the purpose and the cyclist themselves end up in more peril than they would if they rode along in the car lane. Its still not a bad system and the bus prices are quite reasonable in my opinion.
Billy
I think I have only had to go to the doctor twice in the past three years, and even then only for asthma. If I travelled on a bus, being regularly coughed at and sneezed upon, every day, I imagine I would be seeing the doc a bit more often!
Dax
The timings (punctuality) of bus services in so-called third world countries would put Stagecoach to shame. It is high time someone looked into their operations and improve the punctuality drastically.
Stephen Williams
The short sightedness of the current public transport system policy and execution amazes me. I live in Glenfield and work in Parnell. If I drive it costs me $5 a day. To catch two buses to do the same journey cost $10 a day, so I ask myself, why would I possibly pay twice as much to leave my car at home. So if the answer is to get rid of the last of the free parking and force me to pay twice as much. That will really get my buy in and support. I will just bring my car to the edge of the parking limit and ride my pushbike the rest. I lived in London and really enjoyed not having to have a car. The Tubes are awesome and the buses always available and reasonably priced. If you want anyone to use public transport then price it reasonably. Drop the price by 50 per cent and you would find twice as many will use it. Remain stuck on the "charge as much as we need to and/or possible" stupid mindset and the numbers will never increase enough. What about a bus sevice for pushbikes as well? I would certainly pushbike to the bus station and then from downtown to the office. What could be more sustainably perfect: busing the bridge only and push biking the rest. That would be innovation .Thanks for the soapbox :-)
Edward Henry
About time! This should have been done 10-years ago. Look at examples like Perth or Paris. Get on with it there are some cowboy outfits out there need to be upgraded or shutdown.
Andrew Atkin
Buses are only any good for getting people to the CBD. This is because they provide a direct service to the CBD (no transfers) and allow people to avoid parking costs. The problem is only about 12 per cent of the population work in the CBD, so public transport will always be extremely limited in terms of its ability to get cars off the road, regardless of the upgrades. This is not my opinion, it is a demonstrated fact as we can this effect in literally every other Auckland-like city in the world. If you are worried about environmental costs, then get yourself a smaller and more energy-efficient car. It will be just as eco-friendly as a bus. Believe it or not, public transport, in total, is not more or less energy-efficient than cars on average (going by world-wide applications). Buses for example have an average passenger-loading of about 30 per cent (same as cars), and weigh about the same too (about 250kg per seat). They use more efficient diesels but they re-accelerate more often. Generally, they are only about 10-20 per cent more energy-efficient than the average car. So again, you can always just buy yourself a more efficient car.
Aaron Bell
It is about time! I live on K rd and walk to work down by the viaduct right across the road from the Stagecoach bus yard on Halsey Street. The amount of black smoke that I see spewing from their poorly maintained buses every day is a disgrace. They must easily be one of the biggest polluters in Auckland city with the kilometers they travel. I cannot believe it has taken this long for the government, local or otherwise, to do something about it
Brandon Watts
Penalties for bus operators are just a cheap way for government to look as though it is doing something. Penalties are unnecessary. The real problems are more fundamental: the efficiency and cost of public transport. To increase efficiency, we need a lot more bus lanes, streamlined boarding processes, and integrated ticketing. The cost of public transport should be subsidised considerably more: it costs $6.40 return for a trip to the city from my place, and it is only an 8km round trip - at almost $1 per km that is impossible to justify.
Jen
I think this idea is progress, it least to some degree, the great variability and unpredictability in the bus system as it is today can leave you up to an hour each side of your desired time of arrival. I find it strange however that this issue is only coming up now, what is the point of timetables if they are not followed?
Steve
My wife has caught the train for years in her current job as we only have one car, and she work just down the road from Britomart. I have just recently changed jobs in Auckland. I live in West Auckland and until 2 months ago worked a 10min drive away. My new position sees me travelling to Penrose every day, which I might add is a 75km round trip. I was appalled to find that it is cheaper for me to drive my kids to Glen Eden, my wife to work and then my self to work and the reverse when I go home then it is for me and my wife to both catch the train. The lack of train services means that I have to arrive to work 30 mins early or 15 to 20mis late... That is if they even come at all! The public transport system in not only Auckland but the whole of the country needs to be looked at. If the big wigs in parliament want to know the issues then I challenge them to use the system for a month. Then maybe they will see what the rest of the normal people in the country have to deal with. Then maybe it will become glaringly obvious why then only 3 per cent of people use public transport. Come on people it is not that hard to figure out all you have to do is actually take a look at the problem!
Mat Barrie
I am confused. Integrated Ticketing? You mean, like the Discovery pass that has been offered for - is it four years now? Get one of these tickets and it is usable on all buses (every operator) and trains, and any inner-harbour ferries. Granted $14 is a little much, but chances are that if you transfer anywhere on your journey you pay more than that anyway. And to those protesting against the imposition of regulation on these companies: what? Have you not seen the attitude of these companies toward the very people you are telling to stand up for them? Yeah, that is not going to happen anytime soon. Stagecoach and Ritchies (and to a lesser extent, Veolia's predecessor Connex) have proved that without regulation, nothing will change.
Cyalmeid
Integrated Transport is the best I have heard in the 8 years I have had to suffer, with the hopelessness of the situation. A common ticket system is the best way to do it, check out Sydney or Brisbane.You must be joking if you think that performance wise we are better than Australia or N. America.
Jo
Buses are infrequent. Do not go where you want when you want and are expensive. Besides, if you have young children the need to return home quickly is a reality that buses cannot alleviate.
Matthew Brown
In Nov 05, I broke my wrist preventing me from driving. For 3 months I caught the bus for my work commute. The buses were always on time in the morning (7:30am) but at 5:30pm it was always late or did not arrive at all forcing me to catch the "Timbuctoo" bus, which eventually got me home after visiting every nook and cranny in the West Auckland area. If the bus arrived on time I would catch it, but it does not, so I drive. This new proposed legislation is an extremely positive step for Auckland kind and will make the bus companies get their act together and stop exploiting us: either be exploited by the petrol companies or the bus companies, your choice! P.S. I did not mentioned that half the time I arrived at work with what must have been carbon monoxide poisoning from poor bus condition.
Wojtek
"Getting picked up on time, and by clean and safe vehicles." A 240hp turbo charged diesel engine being clean? A bus with no seat belts being safe? Idiotic.
Sue
I now work in Avondale but live in New Lynn. In my last job, which was in Mt Roskill, I would catch the 009 bus in New Lynn to my destination in Mt Roskill. That would cost me, taking into consideration the recent hike in fares, $3.20 full fare. This being a 2 stage journey of 12 kilometres from New Lynn to Mt Roskill. Now that I have less of a distance to travel I still have to pay $3.20 for two stages. This is because where we live is in between the first stage of Henderson and the next stage being the New Lynn bus depot. And yet if I used my car I would only be travelling 2 kms. So whilst there is such a discrepancy in fare stages I am reluctant to catch the buses in Auckland.
Margaret Mclaren
In our area (Crown Hill, North Shore) we keep reading about the improvements in bus services. They are not improved here. Before the Constellation Drive area was set up for commuters, there were four buses that came along East Coast Road to go into the city and we never had more than ten minutes to wait. Now there is one only, running every half hour in the week and every hour on Sundays. Our rates have gone up but the service has not improved at all for our area.
Sam
Make public transport free, make it readily available in all parts of the city, use more but smaller buses. Else go the Manilla,Cairo, Bangkok way, where jeepneys, small buses, tuk-tuks are all privately owned. Large companies are not the answer. Auckland used to have a good public transport system, but it was sold to a large company which does give a damn about its passengers.
Will
This really makes no difference to me. I already live on a main bus route and to get to work in the moorings I would very rarely have to wait more than five minutes to catch a bus however I am still not going to use the bus service regularly and for two main reasons. One:, far quicker to take the car. In rush hour it takes me about 10 minutes to get to work but in the bus at least 35 by the time I walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus, stop/start all the way to my stop (about a 6.5km journey) and then walk from my stop to work. Overall it takes about an extra hour out of my day and I value my time. Two, the cost. A return trip on the bus is now $6.40 per day. There is no way it costs me that much in petrol and yes you can talk about all the other running costs of having a car but most of those will still be there whether or not I take the car to work each day. I know this sounds selfish but if you want me to bus politicians you need to make it worth my while and at the moment there is nothing happening to provide me with any incentive to do so.
Evan Blackie
The scheduling of buses in towns seems to me to ultimately be a scientific problem, probably a rather complex one. For example, are these bus companies using computer models and testing and refining possible routes and schedules based on actual traffic data? Is there really nothing practical to be done about buses congregating together in busy times, i.e. use of smaller buses, additional buses, buses missing stops to keep more regular intervals? Are buses fitted with GPS devices/timers and is this information used to further improve services? It would be helpful to know what is actually being done aside from the free phone and website services that give timetabling information.
Shelly
The infrastructure in Auckland simply can not cope. It is completely out of control. You cant force the buses to be on time as they are stuck in gridlock most of the day, and the infrastructure isnt in place for buses, ferries and trains to integrate easily. It would take billions of dollars and tens of years to fix. Give up Auckland, there is no quick fix for your transport problems.
Tony O Connor
I think the keep-on-time idea has some merits - such as that timetables be well-reasoned and not claim that bus times can be predicted to the minute. But in the citys streets, there is often little drivers can do to ensure their bus runs on time. Some days I find the route I follow (which runs 5ks along Dominion Rd) can take 15 minutes, other days 30 minutes, even at the same time of day. The problem is simply other traffic, even though much of the route is dedicated bus lane.
Lea
Do use the bus and find them very good. People are just ungrateful and dont realise how good they have it here! They should travel more then come home and be more grateful!
Lee
Forcing buses to run on time? Wont that just create more reckless driving by bus drivers? I am sick of driving along the road and having buses just pull out right on top of you and cut you off blatantly most of the time they dont even indicate! With this I can only see there reckless driving habits becoming far worse.
Gordon Norris (Albany)
My daughter has just started at Carmel College in Takapuna and has to catch buses home. Since the start of term, the buses have been late departing Carmel College more often than not, to the great inconvenience not only of my daughter but all the other girls reliant on public transport to get home. I am trying hard to persuade to my daughter to catch the bus to school as well but am not getting much traction due to the buses demonstrated unreliability in time-keeping terms. With the completion (soon?) of the bus-lanes on the North Shore, the bus companies will no longer be able to hide behind peak-time traffic conditions as an excuse for lateness!
Judith Harper
I am a regular bus passenger, However when travelling at peak times,the bus lanes are congested by cars and the clearways are no better. To get the buses moving,it needs a concentrated effort by the Auckland Council and ARTA to police these lanes more effectively. A better fare system is also needed as a lot of time is spent by the drivers changing large notes as some passengers treat the bus like a bank. Unless there is something done in the aforementioned areas, then the dream of having the buses run on time are just that a dream.
Tony Lee
A bus that runs on time? Yeah right! Try catching the bus from Sylvia Park to Otahuhu during peak hour traffic at 3pm. Expect to wait until 4pm.
Gustavo Olivar
After reading some views I would like to point out a few "things". The first is that the main issue with people taking public transportation is not the punctuality but the travel time. Someone mentioned that how can a bus be on time if it is in a gridlock. Well, actually, with a regulation framework like this, then you can actually start planning more effectively and move cars out of the way of buses.
Another point is the fee system. It just makes sense to have an integrated system because, as a customer, I do not care who I pay to, and how do they split the pot, all I want is to get to my destination as fast and hassle-free as possible. Finally, from an environmental point of view , better buses means better air quality and less fuel consumption. Remember that moving 30 people in 1 bus is much better than having 30 cars running around trying to find a parking space.
Simon
It is disgusting. Very soon I wish to have my own car. Forget buses not coming on time. Buses sometimes do not come at all at the given time.
That was the experience myself and a couple of Japanese passengers experienced when we waited for the 68 route bus to Botany which never arrived at the bus stop forcing us to walk all the way from Pakuranga Plaza to Botany. Well, if the government does not want us to have cars or use cars instead of public transport. Then the immediate need is to reduce the arrival time between each bus to motivate us to take a bus. Currently the time duration between each bus is approx 45 minutes to an hour. To motivate us further to take buses we also need buses to go into the inner streets of residential areas which is currently allocated to only certain areas while the other inner streets are ignored. We are not keen to walk 20 minutes to 30 minutes just to walk to a bus stop to catch a bus. That is what is forcing people to use cars or people might preferably walk the distance all the way than catch a bus. Let us hope we not only get buses on time but also the above to motivate us to use public transport.
Raj
How can people move to public transport when there is not enough connections or convenience. for example: f I want to travel from Richardson road, Mt Roskill to Three kings mere 4 kms around. I will have to take 2 buses and with time gap of say around 20 minutes so what can be a 5 min drive becomes 30-40 min on bus notwithstanding the cost. Similarly if I want to go to my work to Albany, it will take me two bus connections 2 hours of time each side and a very expensive trip, its not worth it, though it personally makes you feel guilty for contributing to environmental mess which goes along with it.
Paul B
The simple maths: one 30 minute car ride or three buses and a trip of well over an hour at more than twice the price.. For anyone not travelling along a main transport route it is academic.
Adrien de Croy
What is a bus driver supposed to do when they can not move because of gridlock? How can the government propose taking away operators rights because they ca not meet timetables? They ca not do the impossible!
I would love to see Ms King giving a guarantee about being able to meet any sort of timetable for road transport. Serious lack of appreciation of reality showing through there. Why do we let these people lead us?
Geoff
It seems impossible that bus performance will improve. Essentially, to improve the on time performance of the buses you would need more buses on the road. This would thereby increase traffic congestion and slow everyone down - including the buses. The net result will be something similar to where we are today, except all the cars will be moving slower as well. Catch-22. Incidentally, the day on which traffic in Auckland was least congested and flowed most freely was the day the bus drivers were on strike. Food for thought really.
Lee
At last, an idea from government I can get behind. This is a better approach than mere
