Bus driver's safety alert backfires

NZ Bus has taken action against one of its drivers who complainedabout cars illegally parking in bus stops in Grey Lynn.

Union outraged after one of its members gets final warning for trying to alert authorities to illegal car parking.

Auckland's largest public transport operator has issued a final warning to a driver who tried alerting the city's deputy mayor to safety concerns about illegal car-parking on a bus stop.

NZ Bus refuses to comment on the written warning issued at a disciplinary hearing last month. But the driver's union says the company's reaction was unwarranted, and plans a legal challenge.

"It's just outrageous - I'm gob-smacked about it," First Union organiser Rudd Hughes told the Herald.

Auckland Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse. Photo / Nick Reed

The trouble arose after the driver emailed the office of Auckland Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, frustrated at an alleged lack of response by the council's transport organisation to concerns about illegal parking at a Grey Lynn shopping centre bus stop in Great North Rd.

Mr Hughes said although NZ Bus had accused the driver of bringing the company into disrepute by communicating with an external party, the email was critical of Auckland Transport rather than NZ Bus.

"What he said in the email was that he had put it [his concern] forward to the company, the company had put it forward to AT [Auckland Transport] and AT hadn't gone anywhere with it."

Auckland Transport yesterday said there "can be a problem at this stop with vehicles parking illegally" but denied failing to address it. The area was patrolled and tickets were issued.

The bus stop is outside several takeaway food outlets and a video store, where the Herald witnessed a succession of drivers stopping illegally to drop off or collect DVDs.

Ms Hulse said from Britain she knew nothing of the email, and would not comment on the disciplinary action. However, Mr Hughes said he understood Ms Hulse's secretary had acknowledged the email and told the driver she had passed his concerns on to Auckland Transport.

The company's northern chief operating officer, Shane McMahon, did not respond to requests for comment. Auckland Transport said it could not discuss employment matters.

The Herald has not obtained comment from the driver, for fear of jeopardising his job further. But a workmate said he had only been voicing concerns about the bus stop shared by many others operating from the company's Go West depot at Swanson. "He was only acting in the interests of safety for the public and the other drivers," the man said.

"Under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, we have an obligation if we see anything that's out of place that could bring danger, that we can't turn our back."

The location of the bus stop meant it was dangerous to double-park there, outside illegally placed cars, so he and other drivers were forced to leave waiting passengers behind.

"We are sick of filling out forms and taking down rego numbers, and having nothing done about it."

Mr Hughes said the union would lodge a personal grievance on the driver's behalf unless the company rescinded the warning, and another issued on the same day on an unrelated matter involving his alleged braking and accelerating performance.