Auckland's bus mysteries - why have a bus arrive at the ferry wharf, just after the ferry has left?

Monday, 20 August 2018

My bus arrived early but missed the departing ferry by minutes

For a moment I thought my bus was early enough to connect with the ferry waiting at Hobsonville Point.

The 112 from Westgate was after all, once called the Ferry Connector, stopping right at the fancy multi-million dollar wharf.

I hit the wharf just as the 0655 ferry left on the 30-minute voyage to the CBD.

'Auckland Transport haven't really got it co-ordinated,' observed the bus driver drily before setting off back to Westgate.

Auckland Harbour Bridge a symbol of small thinking we can't repeat**

Time for a coffee, an hour in fact, to reflect on the curious tale of the 112 bus, and to wonder how many such fails are dotted across Auckland.

Table of Auckland's least used bus routes

A ferry and a bevvy of bus services were there from day one in 2013, at the state-owned model of quality, medium density living being rolled out on the former air force base.

As a Northwest resident (declaration of interest) I was an early adopter of the Ferry Connector bus from the Westgate transport hub, and the ferry from the point, on nice summer days.

However most of the time I was the only passenger on the bus, and no wonder.

The separate bus fare and ferry fare, came to $10 on an AT HOP card, double the bus-only option.

The Ferry Connector was also one of AT's best kept secrets. Even one of its senior staffers who I occasionally shared another bus with, was unaware of it.

Then last year, the Ferry Connector had a near-death experience.

In revamping bus services to the West and North-west, AT inadvertently tweaked the Ferry Connector so that it just missed the 6.55am sailing, and made the 8am only if you were lucky.

I pointed this out to AT soon after last June's revamp - there was a sheepish almost-silence at the other end of the line.

After five and a half years, you'd have thought I'd have had plenty of company as I re-tried the once-Ferry Connector, now 112 bus.

Apart from two who joined for part of the 20-minute trip, I was again alone on reaching the Point.

It's not the only near-empty bus route in Auckland.

AT data shows 15 routes averaging two passengers or less across the working week.

The low-passenger champion being the 957 - a 5 minute run down from the Highbury Shops to Birkenhead Wharf. No passengers reported in 15 services according to AT.

Is that just part of life in running a citywide network - ratepayers funding largely-empty buses ?

'No' said AT's chief executive Shane Ellison. Some of the low North Shore services will change in a September revamp, elsewhere in Auckland time is given to build patronage on new services.

Small comfort in nearby Rodney where the Local Board has introduced a $150 household transport levy, partly to fund new bus services that wouldn't otherwise happen.

Restoring a previously-axed service to fast-growing Riverhead could cost ratepayers more than half a million dollars a year.

There's good news though, for the services Hobsonville Point is fortunate to have.

Nearly 16 months after inadvertently disconnecting the connector, AT plans to tweak the timetable at the end of October, so that the buses and ferries all connect.

Then it just has to find some passengers to help pay for it. Integrating bus and ferry fares to provide a combo discount, is still in the pipeline.