A Capital Letter: Amid the bus chaos Wellingtonians say 'thank you driver'

Wellington bus driver Mike Greer. Photo / Nick James

OPINION: Senior Wellington journalist Georgina Campbell's fortnightly column looks closely at issues in the capital.

My favourite bus driver on the Number 3 route is the one who plays old classics from behind the wheel - last week my morning commute was filled with the dulcet tones of Nat King Cole singing Unforgettable.

Every time I get off the bus I call out "thank you, driver", as do most Wellingtonians.

That small token of appreciation means more than ever right now, with the city's bus network again struggling to meet the expectations of a modern public transport system.

These wider issues are not the fault of individual drivers but they are the ones who are on the frontline dealing with an increasingly disgruntled public.

Last month 3,159 bus services were cancelled in Wellington, a new record for the city in recent years.

The number of cancellations has steadily grown this year, from just 545 in January.

Drivers are in short supply. The region's network needs about 700 for things to run smoothly and is up to 60 drivers short.

In response, Greater Wellington Regional Council will be reducing the number of peak hour services in a timetable redesign.

Commuters waiting at a bus stop on Lambton Quay. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The idea behind this is to give people certainty. There may be less buses for people to catch but at least they can rely on them to show up.

There's a certain sinking feeling looking up at the real time information board to see your bus is cancelled, especially now that it's winter and it's dark and cold.

But potentially what's even worse is looking up at the board to see that your bus is "scheduled", which almost certainly means that service will fall of the face of the earth by the time it's meant to arrive.

At the same time, with climate change bearing down on us, it feels extremely regressive to be cutting bus services instead of increasing our public transport capacity.

The other issue driving the growing number of bus cancellations this year is the ongoing wrangle between NZ Bus and the Tramways Union over their collective agreement.

Stop work meetings, a strike and a lockout have all resulted in cancellations.

NZ Bus has offered an increased base rate but with trade-offs like lower penal rates, which has proved to be unacceptable to the union.

But it appears there is hope on the horizon with the union meeting today to consider the latest offer from NZ Bus.

Wellington Tramways Union secretary Kevin O'Sullivan has said it's a good offer that he believed would be accepted.

He has been tight-lipped about the details but said terms and conditions that were previously proposed to be scrapped are now back on the table.

The one good thing that happened for Wellington's bus network in the past year was the launch of Snapper's iOS app. Image / Supplied

In the background, the regional council wants to ensure all drivers are paid the living wage by topping up operators. This move will affect about 300 drivers.

It might surprise people that some bus drivers aren't paid at least $22.10 an hour when they provide such an essential service.

Furthermore, the place where they are providing that service, being Wellington, is becoming increasingly unaffordable for people to live in.

This is the case for those on reasonably sized salaries, let along those who aren't even paid the living wage.

The Herald revealed another issue for the bus network last week, although one that is not such an imminent problem as the driver shortage.

Kilbirnie bus depot has been sold for $35 million, leaving NZ Bus short of a location to store part of its Wellington fleet.

Infratil used to own NZ Bus but sold the operator to Next Capital in 2019. The land at 45 Onepu Rd in Kilbirnie was not part of the deal.

NZ Bus is now working on a plan for a new depot at a time when land is becoming more scarce and increasingly expensive.

Public transport assets have slipped through the fingers of councils via commercial transactions over the years.

These collective sets of circumstances have sparked a call for transport assets to be brought under the control of regional councils to create greater certainty in delivering quality public transport services.

The one good thing that happened for Wellington's bus network in the past year was the launch of Snapper's iOS app, meaning people with iPhones can now top up their card from their phones.

But you still have to buy a paper ticket if you want to catch the train somewhere.

Despite all the issues with the bus network the "thank you driver" ethos that Wellingtonians live by remains strong.

Our interaction with drivers is part of our respect for the services they provide.