NZ Bus not preferred tender for New South Auckland Bus Network Just in from the NZX: NZ Bus South Auckland Public Transport Tender Outcome 8:42am, 29 Jan 2016 | … Continue reading NZ Bus South Auckland Bus Contract Not to Be Renewed By Auckland Transport UPDATED
Why is Auckland Transport not making it easy? And today those who use Auckland central isthmus bus routes – typically served by NZ Bus‘s Metrolink “division” have the wonderful … Continue reading AT-HOP Roll Out Issues?
I managed to have the following brochure handed to me about AT HOP and North Star Buses. North Star run the North Shore to CBD routes and are provided by NZ Bus (part of Infratil and also those responsible for the Snapper Disaster (the smart card not the fish one).
The Brochure
Those astute readers will see the long lead in time and delays of the AT-HOP roll out for the North Shore. This is owning to some “glitch” (where have I heard this before) in the AT-HOP system that is slowing down the roll out.
Basically delays upon delays with dates pushed further and further back…
Nothing more needs to be really said on the matter as the situation and history speak volumes thus far – and will do so for a while longer to come…
Not so sure what to think here but it would seem NZ Bus Drivers have rejected their latest pay offer from NZ Bus who run Auckland’s Metrolink, Waka Pacific, Go West, North Star and Link (City, Inner and Outer) bus fleet.
This is from my inbox this morning (Saturday):
Results of Auckland bus drivers ballot
Bus drivers have voted against a revised proposal from NZ Bus for their collective employment agreement.
The vote was 51% against ratifying the proposed settlement, and 49% in favour.
Drivers voted by secret ballot at their different bus depots over the past week and a Company lawyer was present to supervise the counting of the vote.
Spokesperson for the bus unions, Karl Andersen, said that the voter turnout was very good. There were very few union members that didn’t vote.
“After careful consideration of the offer, drivers are still of the view that they don’t earn enough to provide for themselves and their families,” he said.
Karl Andersen said despite some movement from NZ Bus, both the amount offered by the company, and a delayed implementation of pay increases, was still a core issue for drivers.
The unions are considering their options at the moment and will make some decisions about next steps early next week, he said.
On Monday we will probably hear what is next in store for NZ Bus, its union workers, and bus commuters. Hopefully no more strikes…
Well knew this was coming from a few light years out. Auckland Transport (finally) dumped Snapper and in return Snapper wants compensation.
You can read it here from the NZ Herald:
Dumped bus card firm seeks $20m compo
6:00 AM Wednesday Sep 19, 2012Electronic payments card supplier Snapper says it will claim up to $20 million in costs from Auckland Transport after being dumped from the region’s $98 million integrated ticketing project.
That is on top of an extra $12 million it says the council organisation must now pay the main Hop ticketing project contractor, French company Thales, to supply replacement ticketing equipment to be leased to the region’s various bus fleets.
Snapper chief executive Mike Szikszai says it simply wanted to recover its costs, rather than try to halt the project and sue for lost business.
“We are aiming for this to be as quick as it can be and we want to move on,” he said.
Szikszai said Wellington-based Snapper was still itemising its costs “but I think we’re looking at a range of between $10 million and $20 million”.
“It’s significant – we haven’t been paid a cent for our work in Auckland.”
Szikszai denied Auckland Transport’s contention that Snapper was unable to meet an extended deadline for the rollout of Hop cards across buses, trains and ferries by November 30, saying it had “delivered against all of our milestones”.
“We met all of our obligations and Auckland Transport didn’t stand up to their side of the deal,” he said.That included a failure to provide Snapper with the specifications it needed to plug its technology into the wider Hop system.
Szikszai said there were about 200,000 Snapper-enabled Hop cards in circulation in Auckland, and the company would continue to support these, even though it would ultimately have to remove its machines from the NZ Bus fleet.
The row over Snapper means it will be April before Thales starts adding the new cards to fleets run by NZ Bus and a consortium of other bus operators which were originally to have been supplied by a third ticketing company.
$20m to fry Snapper – dang that is expensive Snapper indeed.
I suppose our resident Prude – The Mayor might want to err “divert” the Cruise Ship Terminal money he has “earmarked” to paying out Snapper quickly so this saga does not need to drag on more than it already has.
But will he?
Nah Pigs Shall Fly First before that would ever happen which means the hapless ratepayer gets stung yet again.
Talking Southern Auckland 