The number of buses not showing up in Tauranga and the Western Bay has increased since 2019. Photo /George Novak
The number of buses not showing up in Tauranga and the Western Bay has increased since 2019. Photo /George Novak
The number of buses failing to show up for passengers in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty has risen due to driver unavailability.
The figures have prompted concerns for staffing as the boss of NZ Bus, which runs the buses locally, said Covid-19 and some "unhappy" staff were keyfactors.
In data obtained by the Bay of Plenty Times, there were 815 missed bus trips reported to Bay of Plenty Regional Council for May this year. The figure is a spike compared to the 200 in April, 111 in March, 201 in February and 94 in January. It also confirmed an overall increase in buses failing to show up since June 2019.
In each of these months, the main reason for the missed trips, also known as dropped runs, was driver unavailability.
NZ Bus chief operating officer Jay Zmijewski said there were occasions of "increased pressure on staff availability". This was due to increases in sick leave with staff "erring on the side of caution in this Covid environment".
"The length of these absences can be extended if drivers are required to await the results of Covid tests."
The number of no-show buses has increased. Photo / File
Considering the impact of Covid, NZ Bus was "performing well" in relation to dropped trips, Zmijewski said.
The regional council data, released under the Local Government Official Information Act, showed that in Rotorua there were just 14 dropped runs in May this year - a difference of more than 800. In April there were 16 missed trips - 18 in March, 11 in February and 10 in January.
"We did have some staff leave the business who were unhappy with recent roster changes designed to provide a more equitable roster. This would have exacerbated the result for dropped trips in May," Zmijewski said.
He would not say what local staff numbers were now or what they were when NZ Bus took on the contract in December 2018.
Source / BOPRC
First Union Bay of Plenty organiser Graham McKean said he was aware of drivers who left because of changes to the roster, which he said changed "flexible working arrangements" for staff.
The company's relocation of its operation centre from Tauranga to Auckland also had an impact, Keane said.
McKean said he had received "a lot of feedback from drivers".
First Union organiser Graham McKean. Photo / NZME
NZ Bus is contracted by the regional council to run buses in Tauranga and the Western Bay until 2027. The data did not include the smaller networks of the Eastern Bay, Katikati, Ōmokoroa and Waihī Beach.
The regional council was asked how many missed bus trips were reported from sources other than NZ Bus but a spokesman said this information did not exist and if it did it would take too much work to provide it.
