Bus company battles shortage of drivers

By JASON COLLIE

Auckland's biggest bus company, Stagecoach, has told staff it will try to get them off jury service and has suspended some holiday leave as it tries to get on top of a driver shortage.

The company has been missing services because it is at least 50 drivers down.

The driver shortage bit at the start of March, when around 18 services were missed.

More than 50 people telephoned the Auckland Regional Council's Rideline service to complain, according to a report to the ARC transport committee.

Meanwhile, the Auckland Tramways Union has given its members cards to pass on to disgruntled passengers - asking them not to blame drivers.

Stagecoach's Auckland operations manager, Harold Williams, said the company was now missing only a few services, if any, because it had reorganised its bus fleet.

"We are having a restructure and we should be getting on top of it," Mr Williams said.

"There was a big surge in the number of passengers at the start of March and some of these [complaints about] missed trips may have been buses which were full and could not pick anybody up. It accentuated the problem."

The shortfall had been worsened because it took longer to train drivers and get them on the road under the new driver licensing laws, Mr Williams said. Companies asking courts to release staff from jury duty was not unusual.

A spokeswoman for the Auckland District Court said the court would look at early requests from Stagecoach.

Regional council contract review manager John O'Neill said bus services in Sandringham Rd, Dominion Rd and Mt Eden Rd were the most affected by the driver shortage.

"When we first saw the increase [in missed trips] we followed it up straight away with Stagecoach," he said.

"We are comfortable they are taking action, but we will continue to monitor it."

Tramways Union president Gary Froggatt estimated there were 70 vacancies out of a total staff of about 850.

He said Stagecoach was struggling to get enough drivers because new workers started off as part-timers for the first two years.

Mr Williams conceded that might also be a factor in the driver shortage.

Mr Froggatt also blamed Stagecoach's employment contract, which the union fought a bitter battle over last year.