U-20 Fifa World Cup: Extra buses to help ease congestion

More buses are promised for tomorrow night's U-20 World Cup football match. Photo / NZME.

More buses are promised for tomorrow night's Under-20 World Cup football match on Auckland's North Shore after a barrage of complaints about traffic jams marring Saturday's tournament opener.

Extra parking will also be organised at a nearby school and more signs will be put around the Albany stadium to ensure clear access to gates, say Fifa organisers.

Auckland Transport says it put extra buses on the Northern Busway to carry fans to the Albany stadium where New Zealand and Ukraine drew nil-all on Saturday afternoon, but Fifa estimates only 12 per cent of the 25,000-strong crowd caught them.

The Northern Motorway was jammed back to the harbour bridge, exacerbated by holiday and shopping traffic and a three-car nose-to-tail crash on at Greville Rd at 11am and another accident at Sunset Rd around 12.30pm.

Some missed kick-off, including a Herald reporter with 10 other parents and children who reached the ground five minutes before half-time.

There were also chaotic scenes after the match, with some spectators complaining of taking hours to get home.

Auckland Transport says it ran 46 bus trips to the stadium, and a similar number back, but will put on more vehicles for tomorrow night's game between New Zealand and the United States.

Spokesman Mark Hannan says that although there won't be clashes with shopping crowds before the 7pm kick-off, spectators and leave home in plenty of time.

Sports Minister Jonathan Coleman said he took no chances and drove to the stadium by 11.15am to open the tournament at what was "a notoriously difficult" stadium to get in and out of.

But he urged others to catch buses tomorrow, and called on organisers to do more to publicise that need.

"I don't think it's a matter of blaming people, but about how it will go from here, and making sure there's a clear plan that encourages people to take the bus," he said.

"I think what is needed probably is a more prominently advertised travel plan."

Dr Coleman said he expected another big crowd at the stadium for tomorrow's match, which is to be followed by seven more including the tournament final there on June 20, but was "really happy" with games being played at Albany.

"It's a great stadium, an appropriately-sized venue, and if there's a proper travel plan in place, you can move people there quite easily from the busway."

A Fifa local organising committee spokeswoman said scanned ticket entry records showed 93 per cent of fans were in their seats in time for kick-off on Saturday.

But most arrived in private vehicles without identifying beforehand where they were going to park.

"The uptake of public transport yesterday was around 12 per cent, which is significantly less than other events supported by integrated ticketing [bus fares included in the ticket price]," she said.

She said the first event buses would leave the CBD and Smales Farm for the Albany stadium at 5.30pm tomorrow, and her committee had arranged extra parking at Albany's Kristin School, from where a shuttle service would run.

Although a number of Herald readers have praised bus services to Saturday's event, Jenny Stevens said she was disappointed at missing the 11.30am tournament opening ceremony, as the first did not leave Quay St until 10.40am.

She said she and another passenger had to help to direct the driver after he started off in the wrong direction, while followed by another bus.

Some readers queried police standing by and watching traffic chaos around the stadium, rather than helping out on points duty.

"I saw plenty of police there but they were sitting in their cars watching," said one.

A police spokeswoman said traffic management was the responsibility of the tournament organisers and the primary role of police was ensuring the safety and security of fans and players.