Vulnerable and elderly attendees were left stranded for more than an hour waiting for mobility transport to Eden Park last night, with one woman’s friend in tears before Auckland’s first Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo show.
The woman claims scores of punters relying on electric cart transport through closed streets faced uncomfortable delays without access to toilets before the spectacle.
However, Eden Park said everything ran smoothly over the night and there were no significant delays, with all mobility-assisted transport to the stadium completed before the show’s 8pm start.
Chief executive Nick Sautner said “extensive operational planning was undertaken in the lead-up to the event” and operational records showed “patrons utilising mobility parking were transported to their gates in a timely manner, including during peak arrival periods”.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the woman, who secured a mobility parking spot in the venue’s ballot system, told the Herald her trio arrived at the designated space at Kōwhai Intermediate School about 5.15pm yesterday.
Giving themselves extra time after their drive from Drury, the group sat down for a picnic dinner before joining the queue about 6pm.
“Lots of elderly people there with issues of mobility. There were only two carts going … we had stood in the line for easily an hour,” the woman said.
“People were starting to get anxious. Lots of people were saying, ‘Well, I’m just going to have to try and walk’.”
Having a toileting disability, the woman’s distress grew as they waited for a ride and learnt the on-site portable lavatory had been locked.
“What we were concerned about was, because we’d seen people using it, had someone collapsed in there?” the woman said.
“I got the man in charge of all this and I said, ‘Look, we need a key, we need to check there’s no one had a medical event in there’.
“And he said, ‘Well, we don’t have one’ ... he was a young chap – I’m not putting age against him – but I don’t think he quite realised the implications.”
The woman alleged traffic management workers contracted for the event told her to complain to Eden Park officials about the mobility parking conditions.
Sautner said Eden Park had strategically placed amenities “such as Portaloos and other support services throughout the precinct”, as well as “wheelchairs available on site, cadets positioned at the top of stairwells to assist patrons, and support teams to provide guidance and assistance where needed”.
“For this event, we had over 300 mobility car parks available for patrons with disability passes, alongside two dedicated drop-off and pick-up points that are located adjacent to the stadium,” he said.
“In addition to the fleet of golf carts operating around the venue, we had eight golf carts assigned specifically to transport patrons from the mobility parking area to their respective gates.”
Still, the woman alleged organisers were “totally underprepared” to cater for the crowd’s older demographics, and seats and shelter should have been provided for those waiting.
“There were 80 to 90 year olds in those queues,” the woman said.
“You just don’t treat vulnerable people like this. It was just so unprofessional.”
After an hour’s wait, the trio allegedly attempted to walk to Eden Park, but a friend on crutches only made it to the driveway before her feet gave in.
“There’s a bus stop by the driveway, she sat there and just cried,” the woman said.
Sautner said the level of dedicated mobility parking, transport assistance and on-the-ground support for the Tattoo went beyond the standard observed at comparable international stadiums.
“As New Zealand’s national stadium and the country’s only venue capable of hosting crowds in excess of 50,000, Eden Park regularly delivers major international events at scale,” he said.
“For events of this nature, we plan and resource our operations carefully.”
Venue staff remained “committed to continually improving the fan experience and welcome constructive feedback to ensure we are delivering the highest standard of service for everyone who comes through our gates”, Sautner said.
“With an expected crowd of more than 25,000 people, all event communications strongly encouraged patrons to arrive early to minimise congestion and allow sufficient time to access the venue comfortably.”
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, performed by more than 1000 members from the British Armed Forces and Commonwealth military bands, typically takes place throughout August on the forecourt of Edinburgh Castle in the Scottish capital.
Despite a history of touring New Zealand, the Tattoo has only ever been hosted in Wellington, making its three-stop tour of Eden Park unprecedented for Auckland.
The Herald’s Mitchell Hageman, who watched the Tattoo at Eden Park last night and at its spiritual home of Edinburgh Castle, said the local instalment delivers “all the world-class bells and whistles the show has built its solid reputation on, with a special sprinkling of Kiwi flavour adding to the magic”.
The second and third Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo shows will take place at Eden Park tonight and tomorrow.
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.
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