Covid 19 Omicron convoy Parliament protest: Despite protest, Wellington still moving

People are still moving around Wellington and coming into the city despite the protest at Parliament being well into its second week.

Traffic and public transport data reveals little discernible change during the protest.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency figures show Wellington traffic volumes running at 86.9 per cent of the same period in 2019.

That's almost identical to Auckland, where there is no protest, and traffic is 87.2 per cent of the same period in 2019.

Wellington traffic actually increased in the first week of the protest compared with the week before, with a 5.3 per cent increase in light traffic - exactly the same increase as seen in Auckland and well ahead of the increase in light traffic in Christchurch, which was just 3.4 per cent.

However, the Waka Kotahi data only really measures people travelling in and out of Wellington City, because the data comes from sites situated at points along State Highways 1 and 2 as they come into the city.

While it shows people are still coming into town, it does not show what happens to traffic in the city itself.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said council engineers actually observed an increase of traffic on Tinakori Rd since the protest has blocked Molesworth St.

"It may be safe to assume that motorists have taken Tinakori as a detour."

Meanwhile, traffic going through Lambton Quay and Bowen St was not bad at all, especially with a diversion in place for buses, MacLean said.

There is a subtle change in public transport data, although so subtle it's barely perceptible through the noise of the data itself.

However data from Metlink, the Wellington bus network operator, showed the number of people boarding buses in Wellington from Tuesday to Thursday this week was 90 per cent of what it was at the same period last week, when the protest was in its infancy.

Data on the number of people using trains is not yet available.

Metlink acting general manager Bonnie Parfitt said they were focused on maintaining access to the network for Wellingtonians who rely on it.

"Detours on some central city routes continue to be in place to ensure that, despite disruptions, this is the case. It is also to ensure the safety of our customers and staff."

Requests for spending data went unanswered.

Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive Simon Arcus said the shift to the red traffic light system setting and the spread of Omicron has been compounded by the protest at Parliament.

This was keeping people away from the city, he said.

Arcus is one of several Wellington business leaders, as well as the mayor, who have written to Finance Minister Grant Robertson requesting urgent financial support "in a period of unprecedented hardship".

Mayor Andy Foster said the pandemic is having a significant impact on Wellington businesses, some of which are now on the brink of closure.

"This is a result of two years of Covid restrictions, lockdowns, the current red-light settings, working from home, and public nervousness. Foot traffic and spend in the central city is down 20 to 30 per cent.

"These businesses are so important to the vitality and life of the city, and to people's livelihoods. For its part the council is initiating a business support package, but more is required."