By SCOTT MacLEOD
Petrol price hikes are driving city motorists off the roads and on to public transport.
Transit New Zealand says the number of cars on Auckland motorways has dropped about 2000 a day and one bus company says patronage is up between 4 and 5 per cent.
Price rises in the past year have marched the price of petrol to $1.21 a litre for unleaded 91 and $1.25 a litre for premium unleaded - a jump of 42c.
The cost of filling an average petrol tank of 50 litres has risen from $46.45 in January to $59.45.
Stagecoach Auckland marketing manager Russell Turnbull said the sharpest surge in bus use was from the North Shore to the central city, but the figure was up 4 to 5 per cent over the whole city.
"It's gone up and up and up ... It's very difficult for us to carry more - the buses are full."
In Hamilton, the number of people using public transport in August was up 7.6 per cent from a year ago.
Environment Waikato land transport manager Bevan Clement also pointed to a 15 per cent jump in the number of people making phone inquiries about bus services.
"I think it is a catalyst for people to make a long-term change. Once you switch you tend to stay."
Mr Turnbull said Stagecoach would boost its inner-city Link bus services by 30 per cent from Monday during the peak times of 7 am to 9.30 am and 3 pm to 6.30 pm every working day.
Apart from the petrol rises, he felt that scarce parking and new bus lanes had helped to push more people on to public transport.
One bus driver said there had been more passengers, and taking on the extra people at each stop was slowing him and causing him to miss stops.
Richard Brookes, aged 27, of Mt Roskill, said he had begun catching the bus three weeks ago and was also trying not to use his car at weekends.
"I feel I'm doing this as much in protest at the petrol companies' putting up their prices as well as saving myself money."
At Tranz Rail, spokesman Fred Cockram said staff were reporting more people on trains nationwide, although exact figures were still being worked out.
The deputy chairman of Auckland Regional Council's transport committee, Jack Henderson, said survey figures showed that petrol and diesel sales had hit a plateau since March after years of increases - because people were leaving their cars at home.
"It puts a lie to the idea that people are wedded to their cars. It reinforces a move to public transport that is real and provable."
However, one downside is that strong demand and high fuel costs are likely to prompt some fare increases. The chairman of the Auckland Cooperative Taxi Society, Robert van Heiningen, said a decision was likely within two weeks.
Mr Cockram said some fares were likely to fall while others rose.
In Europe, furious farmers and truck drivers were still blockading highways and oil depots last night in protest against rising prices.
Five tankers under police escort left an oil depot in southeast England yesterday after Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to end the paralysing fuel crisis.
But most of Britain's filling stations remained without supplies amid a mood of near-panic among motorists braving long queues to stock up.
What began five days ago as scattered blockades has escalated into nationwide panic as motorists vainly try to stockpile petrol.
Soaring petrol boost for buses
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