Always the Delays that make the wheels on the bus (or train) fall off!
Well the netball last night turned into a gut wrencher as the home team blows a 4 point lead into a 10 point deficit at the end of 60 minutes. Still two special shout-outs to two Northern Mystic players: one being much under utilised Bailey Mes who took some gutsy and awkward shots at the hoop last night, the other being GK Jess Moulds for having a tough assignment out against a very tall Jamaican shooter (Fowler) but still played brilliantly with some first class intercepts of the ball through out the night.
But I am not here to talk about last night’s game. What I did receive on my phone during the game was a post from ATB on AT-HOP running behind (again). Nothing new there I suppose with BR:AKL (and formerly VOAKL) covering this mess since the blog’s inception in December 2011.
So here we go again – and the spotlight firmly focused back on Auckland Transport after 8-weeks on dedicated focus to the Unitary Plan (in saying that a UP post will be coming shortly). Time for your brief from the Sunday Star Times:
Transport plan runs late
Auckland Transport’s accounts indicate the city’s integrated ticketing system is $27 million over budget and behind schedule, but the council-owned agency refused to comment on or clarify its numbers last week.
The Sunday Star-Times has been requesting an update on the project for two weeks, but last week spokeswoman Sharon Hunter said no-one was available for an interview.
After saying the project was on schedule, Hunter said Auckland Transport would be holding a media briefing around the start of the AT HOP bus rollout programme “shortly”.
“At that stage you will have an opportunity for an interview,” she said.
However, according to Auckland Transport’s accounts for the nine months ended March 31, 2013, capital spending on all public transport projects was $24.3m under budget, mainly due to delays in the Auckland Integrated Fares System (AIFS) project, Manukau City Rail Link (CRL) project ($2.1m, due to Mainzeal going into receivership), and other CRL projects ($6.1m, because of delayed property purchases).
The accounts forecast that for the full year, capital expenditure on projects is expected to be under budget by $30.7m due to lower land purchase costs in the CRL project of $66.5m offset by an increase of $27m in AIFS and $10.7m in the Northern Strategic Growth Area and Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative projects.
When told Fairfax Media would be running a story this weekend, Hunter said that was “a little unfair”.
“I have given you comment that you will have someone to interview when we announce the rollout shortly. We will be providing information to all media at the same time,” Hunter said.
The AIFS project is jointly funded by Auckland Transport and government transport agency NZTA.
In 2009, NZTA agreed to pay $20m for the development of the core clearing house system of AIFS, to be developed by French firm Thales.
NZTA has registered a company, NZ Transport Ticketing, to take ownership of that core system when it is complete, after which it will become the basis of a national integrated ticketing system.
NZTA also agreed to fund 60 per cent of the $38.25m AIFS rail system and 60 per cent of operating costs of $80m through to 2021.
However, there may be more costs to come.
Infratil subsidiary Snapper is seeking compensation from Auckland Transport after it was turfed off the project.
That could result in litigation, but exactly how much Snapper is seeking is not known.
Auckland Transport requires all third party systems to be able to integrate with its core system and was to be having Snapper’s scanners removed from Infratil’s buses beginning in April.
The Star-Times understands that has not yet happened.
The piece I have in bold is from the next AT-Board meeting to which we were told to bring sleeping bags and snacks as it was going to be a large and very long meeting. I am taking their mega-announcements for public transport is to happen at that meeting. I should end up going to that meeting but as well as bringing the snacks I am tempted to bring the Gin and Tonic along as well – you never know, someone might need it at the end of this upcoming marathon session.
I also note that AT are playing around with accounting numbers again – not that the city is going to care so much at this point and time. But what the city does care about is the continued plague that is AT-HOP with its delays and over-runs. Heck almighty I remember doing this post in February last year on HOP providing a pong:
A STINK THAT IS PONGING AUCKLAND PUBLIC TRANSPORT
But no we will keep limping along worse than an injured snail to our much vaunted but utter failure call Auckland Integrated Ticketing. It makes the archaic paper tickets on the trains so much simpler and hassle free than the poor buggers with failed HOP cards.
Yep: still limping along some 15 months later, that poor bugger still get hassles with his failed (now AT) HOP card (I get feedback of AT-HOP cards being polarised (rather de-magnetised) and thus no longer work and need replacing – already), $98m now $127m, and not so sure on the roll out with NZ Bus buses still having Snapper technology on board when they are not meant to…
And yes; I use my Visa Paywave at retailers smart enough to have the technology in place quite a bit (and did so in Aussie) and it is very fast and very painless. In fact I believe using my Visa paywave to get goods is quicker than swiping my AT-HOP card at the Britomart Gateline… Irony abound.
As for Manukau I think it is a trip back down to the station today to go get my monthly shots of well – nothing. That is the only progress I see at that site is the weeds growing rather than a Bus Interchange and a gateline. Ah well least something is progressing down there (for the bees).
Transport Commitee
The Transport Committee meets on Wednesday. Nothing too special in there apart from the Regional Public Transport Plan up for discussion – again.
The agenda can be found in the embed below
And now back to the Unitary Plan
Talking Southern Auckland 