Close to 10 percent of Auckland bus trips are being cancelled each day due to a shortage of 270 bus drivers.
File photo: Auckland bus Photo:
A resurgence of Covid-19 cases is ripping through Auckland's bus depots and it's not just bus services; the city's commuter ferries are running on reduced frequency too.
The issue has also been exacerbated by a world wide shortage of transit drivers.
Auckland Transport (AT) Acting Group Manager Metro Services Darek Koper told Checkpoint the shortage meant 1400 bus trips had to be cancelled each day.
AT typically operates 11,600 bus trips each day, meaning the number of cancelled trips makes up close to 10 percent of its usual workload.
Koper said the organisation was aiming to avoid cancelling high frequency trips, buses on low frequency routes and the first and last bus trips of the day.
Meanwhile, the top priority was keeping all school-related services running to make sure children got home and to school on time, he said.
With the government currently offering half-price public transport, Koper said AT was working to reduce the effects of the shortage while keeping its system as reliable as possible.
"At this stage capacity is there in terms of providing service, the reliability is the key factor that people value and they want to turn up and go.
"So, while we're working on solving the issue we try to communicate with customers [and] help them plan their trips so they could be least affected as possible."
The driver shortage was not a new issue but Covid-19 had made it more apparent.
"Covid really just brought the issue to the surface, we have been dealing with a bus driver shortage for quite some time," Koper said.
Drivers were leaving the job for other opportunities within the transport network due to a variety of reasons including better payrates, more flexible work patterns and the rising rate of abuse towards public transport workers.
"[We] have been working with the Council of Trades Unions, bus operators and Waka Kotahi our co-founders to find a way we could improve the bus driver terms and conditions to make the profession more attractive."
Minister of Transport Michael Wood announced a $61m package for public transport driver support in this year's Budget. Photo: LDR / Stephen Forbes
The starting wage for AT bus drivers is around $23.30 per hour, which Koper admitted was not a good rate.
"We're working towards $27-$30 to be competitive with the rest of the industry but we need some additional funding from our funders to enable this."
AT had previously attempted to use employment bonding to retain drivers but it was found to be a barrier to employment for some.
Koper hoped the Budget's $61 million package for public transport driver support would help alleviate the financial pressure of the increasing wages.
Discussions were underway with central government, Auckland Council and Waka Kotahi to source additional funding to enable AT to pay drivers a more competitive wage, he said.