An empty Hamilton bus in service on Wednesday afternoon. Photo / Nikki Preston
An empty Hamilton bus in service on Wednesday afternoon. Photo / Nikki Preston
A dramatic 90 per cent fall in the number of people using the country's buses doesn't make the services any less important, according to the providers.
Public buses are still running normal or slightly scaled back services to transport essential workers, or to take people to essential services.
But despite a huge decline in the number of people riding them the operational cost remains largely unchanged for councils running the services.
The Government has also committed to offset all lost fare revenue - as the services run at no charge during the lockdown in a bid to minimise contact between the drivers and passengers - to enable councils to maintain existing contract payments.
An Auckland Transport bus being deep-cleaned to keep passengers safe during the pandemic. Photo / Supplied
Wellington's Metlink has suffered the biggest decline with 2500 to 3000 passengers riding its buses - an estimated 95 per cent to 97 per cent fall based on figures for the same period last year.
It is followed closely by Tauranga, where an average of 243 people are catching a bus each day - representing 5 per cent of its usual custom based on figures for the same period last year.
Likewise Hamilton has an average of 650 people a day riding its buses (95 per cent drop), Rotorua has an average of 119 (92 per cent drop), Queenstown 230 (94 per cent drop), Dunedin 780 (91 per cent drop) and Christchurch 3200 (92 per cent drop).
Auckland Transport said it has also had a significant drop with only about 16,000 passengers catching a bus each day - a 91.8 per cent drop on the same period last year.
AT had reduced its service by 32 per cent but is still providing it because there were people who relied on it. It was also careful not to reduce the service and lead to fuller buses that could not comply with the physical distancing rules.
"Although the number of passengers requiring public transport is currently extremely low compared to normal, AT still carries over 16,000 passengers each day and we feel it is important to operate the highest service level possible - in order to support service availability for our customers; and to ensure physical distancing for both our customers, and operators," an AT spokesperson said.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council corporate general manager Mat Taylor said the council had cut 12 of its services in Tauranga and Rotorua and the 32 still running were on a reduced timetable.
Taylor said minivans could not be used instead of buses. They did not provide the rear-door entry necessary to provide the essential physical distancing required at alert level 4 for drivers and bus users.
Environment Canterbury senior manager of public transport Stewart Gibbon said it was important to keep the services running so they remained in the minds of the community and were ready to go once the restrictions were over.
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"Passenger numbers have, as expected in this unprecedented lockdown, drastically decreased. However, while the numbers may be low, they are not insignificant. Those travelling need public transport.
"Every one of those people that are on board is there because they have an essential journey to make. We're carrying nurses to hospital, we're carrying bakers to the factories, we're carrying chemists to the pharmacies and shelf-stackers to the supermarket."
Otago Regional Council transport manager Garry Maloney said despite the reduced service feedback had been really positive, with many expressing gratitude that they are able to access this essential service when in need.
