NZ Bus

May 23, 2023

New On News Transport Minister Michael Wood has been touring the NZ bus depot and checking out new protective screens for drivers following a nearly $50 million investment in wages and condtions. Wood’s tour was at the NZ Bus depot on Wynyard Quarter on Tuesday, where he met with speaking bus drivers and union representatives. His visit follows the Budget 2023 announcement of a $49.3 million investment in bus driver wages and improving bus driver conditions – on top of the 2022 budget investment of $62m. Wood’s said he came to work on the 25L where he thinks 100 people joined him on that bus this morning. READ MORE: “It’s no secret we’ve had a real shortage of bus drivers.” On May 18 amid a slew of budget announcements, the government announced public transport would be free for children under 13, and half price for people under 25. The government also intends to raise driver base wages to $30 per hour for urban bus drivers, $28 for regional bus drivers, and introduce split shift allowances of $30 per split shift. There would also be penal rates for those working after 9pm. “This delivers an average 58 percent increase to bus drivers pay since we took office,” Wood said at the time. Sapeer Mayron/Stuff Transport Minister Michael Wood tried out the drivers seat, with the new addition of a protective screen The cheaper fares, increase in driver wages and conditions and boosting the number of drivers is hoped to drive New Zealand’s climate warming emissions down. On Thursday, Climate Change Minister James Shaw said the funding boost will take cars off the road and cut pollution. City Rail Link chief executive Sean Sweeney. (File photo) Meanwhile, the highly anticipated $5.5 billion City Rail Link (CRL) will not open until 2026 or later, according to reports in the NZ Herald. It’s some 18 months more than forecasted, and comes amid a budget blowout of over $4 billion. CRL chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney said while it’s hoped the CRL will be handed over to Auckland Transport and Kiwirail in November 2025, there will be extensive testing after that will delay when commuters can begin riding the new network. “As a ballpark guess, I’d say six months, but people need to understand that numbers could change a lot, based on what happens,” Sweeney said, on how long that testing might take. In a statement to Stuff, the CRL media manager said Auckland Transport and KiwiRail will decide when the 3.4km track will open. “Once built and handed over to KiwiRail and Auckland Transport, the new systems need to be linked into the existing older systems, with significant testing required,” Nick Smith said. “Processes needed before opening include testing the trains and infrastructure, training drivers, new safety procedures and linking the new systems into the old. “Overseas experience shows the linking of new and old technology is a major risk to the project and will take time.”