Changes to combat bus driver shortages
WELLINGTON: Safety improvements and better pay are among major incentives for easing a shortage of bus drivers.
Metalreinforced protective screens will be installed in buses after an increase in abuse resulted in two drivers being stabbed earlier this year.
The screens complement several pay increases in a bid to combat an ongoing bus driver shortage, which has caused delays and disruptions to services throughout the country.
Transport Minister Michael Wood said he could not blame drivers for quitting in the wake of low pay, poor conditions and hostility from passengers.
‘‘The model we’ve had for a long time has resulted in relatively low levels of pay and conditions that aren’t great for many of our bus drivers,’’ he said.
‘‘When you have a situation of low unemployment and people have got choices, why would they put up with that?’’
Bus drivers felt unsafe as they faced passenger aggression.
‘‘These men and women do critical work to serve our community, and they deserve to feel safe at work,’’ Mr Wood said.
‘‘The bus driver protection screens are an important initiative to provide an additional layer of protection and comfort for our bus drivers.’’
But it will be a long time before they are installed nationwide.
During a trial period, just two Auckland buses are being tested with the new screens.
‘‘We’re just checking out what works,’’ Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency public transport manager Delaney Myers said.
‘‘It’s important that we roll this out slowly to make sure they’re fit for purpose. It’ll be a slow process to make sure we get that right. We don’t have a timeframe in mind.’’
Feedback from 200 drivers involved in the trial had been ‘‘overwhelmingly positive’’, she said.
Mr Wood said the screens would not be installed in the rest of the fleet until any flaws had been ironed out.
‘‘You’ve got to think through issues like, for example, if you have a screen to the left of the driver, might that create some glare? So you need to get the design right,’’ he said.
In the meantime, bus drivers would be offered deescalation workshops.
Alongside those challenges, Mr Wood said councils were struggling to pay for services.
‘‘As part of Budget 2023, we’re investing an additional $140 million which will support both Waka Kotahi and our local councils to fill some of that shortfall and to be able to begin the work of rebuilding services,’’ he said.
After almost 12 months, Queenstown’s full Orbus schedule is to resume from June 1.
Otago Regional Council interim chief executive Dr Pim Borren said the council had worked with bus operators to ensure the increased services would run smoothly at key times, ‘‘as far as is possible’’.
‘‘I’m thrilled that we are moving back to our full schedule of services and apologise for the almost 12 months we had to go to a reduced timetable due to the driver shortage, which was a national problem.
‘‘More drivers have been recruited for Queenstown which enables the increase in daily trips.’’
While there would be an increase in services, passengers still needed to be prepared for possible cancellations as the new timetable bedded in and the potential for winter illnesses persisted.
The updated timetable information would be available via the Transit app and ORC website, as well as on screens at the Frankton hub, and paper timetables would be available at outlets throughout Queenstown.