Across Auckland, buses will be getting livestreaming CCTV technology that enables operators to watch assaults in real time. Photo / Alex Burton
Auckland Transport (AT) is fitting more than 70 buses with live CCTV cameras, amid a surge in violent attacks on drivers.
The new technology will allow a driver to silently press a button to alert a CCTV operator to watch a potential assault or abusive behaviour.
The move follows a “huge spike” in violence towards bus drivers since 2022 that AT has been grappling with, AT public transport and active modes director Stacey van der Putten says.
To July 31 this year, there were 29 physical assaults on AT bus drivers. In 2024, there were 56 assaults.
The attacks are down from the surge of 2022, when assaults skyrocketed to 90 from just 34 in 2021.
The trial is in its early stages in 45 buses. AT is looking to increase this by 20 to 30 buses over the next few months.
Previously, CCTV footage had to be downloaded at a depot and could not be accessed in real time.
“It’s relatively new,” van der Putten said.
“People need to understand that they’re being recorded when they’re on public transport ... and people will be called out for bad behaviour or if they’re putting drivers at risk.”
It’s part of what van der Putten calls AT’s wider ‘action plan’ to address rising violence, that also involves rolling out glass screen safety doors in all buses.
The Weekend Herald previously reported on three bus drivers in Tauranga badly assaulted in just five days. In Auckland, last year, two bus drivers were assaulted within one hour.
Last month, a bus driver was taken to hospital with a facial injury after an assault by three young people in central Auckland.
Bus services company Kinetic New Zealand’s chief operating officer Stephen McKeefry said live streaming CCTV had been operating on selected City Link buses since July.
“Following the initial rollout of 12 buses, we’ve installed this technology on a further 21 buses at our New Lynn depot, with more due to be fitted by the end of September,” McKeefry said.
“Driver feedback is an important part of this trial and will help shape how this technology is used more widely in the future.”
The reason why violence has worsened is not clear, but there are several industry theories.
Tramways Auckland Union’s president Gary Froggatt, who has held his job for 50 years, said people not paying for fares was part of the problem.
“It really all started with Covid, the number of assaults and the severity of the assaults got worse,” he said.
“I don’t know why that is. Mainly, it’s a problem with passengers who don’t want to pay their fares.”
Drivers can now process no-fare transactions if someone refuses to pay which will then be sent to AT to investigate if there is a recurring pattern on a specific route.
Van der Putten feels the violence reflects “complex social problems” influenced by factors such as the high cost of living and public transport fares being waived during Covid.
“One of the huge things we see is that fare evasion aspect and how that can escalate into other behaviours,” she said.
Van der Putten said addressing unprovoked violence was “tricky” due to the daily volume of bus trips.
There are more than 2500 bus drivers in Auckland with 13,500 bus services operating daily.
“I think coming out of Covid and lockdowns, the anti-social behaviour has been huge comparative to what we saw pre-Covid,” van der Putten said.
“It’s not unique to us ... I talk regularly to our international peers and it’s been globally.”
Froggatt thought live CCTV cameras were an “excellent idea”.
“We can’t wait for it to be rolled out to all the other buses,” he said.
“What we’ve found is sometimes when offenders see drivers calling on the radio they then attack.
“Now they [bus drivers] don’t have to say anything.”
Van der Putten said for the trial, the cameras will be viewed by the operator upon activation by the driver.
The Privacy Commissioner’s office said it did not work with Auckland Transport on the trial but says agencies can only collect personal information from CCTV, like footage of someone, that is necessary for a reason connected to their functions or activities.
Businesses are advised to collect the least amount of personal information possible from CCTV.
If someone asks for a recording of themselves from CCTV, organisations will need to be able to respond to that request.
Froggatt said he would tell passengers worried about privacy or being watched from a bus depot that it was “for your safety”.
“If we can hone in on some of these people we may be able to eliminate some of the offenders,” he said.
Van der Putten said there were stickers on all buses alerting passengers that CCTV was operating.
On its website, the Privacy Commissioner says signage must tell people they are being recorded and be clear about who owns and operates the CCTV system.
The Weekend Herald has earlier reported on union concerns that bus drivers are fearful of repercussions if they act in self-defence during assaults, leaving them uncertain how to handle passenger violence.
In Auckland, there were cases of company management carrying out investigations into drivers after assaults, Froggatt said.
“It’s unfair that they target the driver ... I don’t have an objection to the investigation, in fact we welcome it, but it’s got to be treated in a humane manner.”
At the time, Kinetic NZ’s McKeefry said the drivers had reported the incidents immediately through the proper channels and the company responded in line with established support protocols.
“Most passengers treat our drivers with the respect they deserve, but we are seeing an increase in aggressive and violent behaviour and that is simply not acceptable,” McKeefry said.
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Eva de Jong is a New Zealand Herald reporter covering general news for the daily newspaper, Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday. She was previously a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle, covering health stories and general news.