Squeeze on public transport
As buses and trains return to normal scheduled services, commuters are being warned there is no guarantee they will be able to get a seat.
Social distancing rules have drastically reduced the capacity of bus services under level three and four.
Medium-sized buses have been limited to 8-10 passengers, and large buses can carry a maximum of 12-14.
At level two, Government recommendations are that social distancing requirements will be reduced to 1 metre.
That will allow for more people on each bus, but capacity will still be approximately half the usual number of passengers.
Passenger numbers are already rising fast, and are likely to boom again at level two. The number of bus users doubled in one day after leaving level four, Greater Wellington Regional Council transport chair Roger Blakeley said.
‘‘The public transport system will not be able to deliver the kind of service people are used to,’’ regional council chairman Daran Ponter said.
‘‘People have got to be kind and understanding. They may have to let a bus pass if it is full.’’
People living in suburbs closer to the centre city are more likely to be impacted, as passengers will already be on board from earlier stops.
‘‘It is a problem, and it’s not one we’ve faced before. The reality is, we don’t have any more buses in the yard.’’
Even if Metlink were able to roll out more buses, they don’t have enough available drivers. 12 per cent of bus drivers in Wellington are over the age of 70 and therefore are not working at the moment.
Trains are likely to face similar issues, especially for passengers boarding at later stops around Petone or Newlands.
Blakeley said he was concerned there may be some frustration from the public.
‘‘It’s going to be disconcerting if you look into a bus as it drives past and its largely empty,’’ he said.
The council will be rolling out ‘‘AmBUSadoors’’ for the first time since the July 2018 network change, to be situated at key stops and pinch points to explain changes to commuters.
In Christchurch, Environment Canterbury’s senior public transport operator Stewart Gibbon said a small number of bus trips in the city were already reaching capacity.
‘‘When we move to Alert Level two, social distancing will still be required. More people will be able to be carried, but there will still be reduced capacity.’’
Gibbon asked people to allow plenty of time to reach their destinations, and avoid peak times if possible.
Auckland Transport said no capacity problems had arisen, with buses now operating to normal timetables, and trains to a 20-minute interval, weekend timetable.
On trains in Auckland, patronage was still at around one-third of what could be carried even with social distancing restrictions applied.
The agency was working on plans for when the country moves to Covid-19 alert level two, and that was where some constraints on popular routes might appear.