Driver shortage and lack of buses 'add to the pressures' of Auckland's March Madness
Monday, 25 February 2019
A shortage of Auckland bus drivers and spare buses could create problems as public transport use hits its annual peak.
So-called 'March Madness' is underway, as the return of tertiary students coincides with the month when the fewest people take holidays, putting the squeeze on bus and rail services.
'There aren't many spare buses, and we know that operators are struggling to recruit new drivers, so that will add to the pressures,' Auckland Transport's bus services manager Darek Koper said.
AT hoped that a boost to everyday capacity over the past year, as well as increased double-decker services, would soak up much of the peak.
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'Some routes have grown faster than predicted, so we will try to add some extra services where we can,' Koper said.
Auckland Transport has seen this year's squeeze coming but a report to its board in December highlighted its limited ability to deal with some of the peak.
'There is some early evidence of capacity constraints on key routes,' the board was told two months ago.
AT has also spent most its public transport budget boosting everyday services, leaving it just $180,000 in the war chest for March Madness.
Driver shortages have also been reported in Wellington and Tauranga.
AT said the rail system was expected to cope with the boost in passengers and daily monitoring of numbers had begun.
'We will be checking which routes may need more services and we will be moving buses around where we can to help with the demand,' Koper said.
The 'March Madness' surge began in late February and is expected to run into April.