Auckland bus services could be hit by new law on drivers' shift patterns and breaks

Sunday, 24 February 2019

Auckland bus drivers were striking over 'management issues' with NZ Bus in February.

Disruption to Auckland bus services due to a driver shortage could worsen in May when new employment law kicks in.

Drivers will be entitled to more breaks and shorter unbroken stints at the wheel, meaning more buses and drivers might be needed.

Auckland Transport has started talks with bus operators, but the Tramways Union said it also needed to be part of the solution.

Many bus services are already under strain because of a driver shortage.

'It could be potentially extremely impactful, especially in peaks,' said Stacey Van Der Putten AT's metro service delivery manager.

* Government withholds 'contentious' research on bus drivers' conditions

* Some Wellington bus services could be suspended because of driver shortage

Bus services could be disrupted when new law on drivers hours takes effect in May

* Wellington's 'chronic' driver shortage**

Changes to the Employment Relations Amendment Act requires workers to have a 10-minute break after two hours and a paid half-hour break after four hours.

Drivers can currently work up to five and a half hours non-stop under provisions in the Transport Act.

'We'd expect the 5.5 hours to become four with an additional meal break,' said Gary Froggatt, the national and Auckland president of the Tramways and Public Transport Employees Union.

'It'll have a major impact on timetabled services around the country,' he told Stuff.

'We are trying to change the driving hours and the rest breaks for drivers in all companies,' he said.

'It's a major priority for us and we'll be attacking it vigorously.'

Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga already face daily cancelled services due to a shortage of drivers, with up to 30 runs a day being scrapped in the capital.

In Auckland, 4 per cent of services were cancelled in one week in mid-December, though not all of them due to driver shortages.

Auckland Transport said it was still trying to work out with operators how the new arrangement would work.

'Essentially what it could means is that we need more bus drivers and more buses to keep to the same timetable, so it's a big risk to the industry,' said Van Der Putten.

Froggatt said AT should be including the unions in the talks on how the ERA changes would affect rosters.

'We are the biggest stakeholders, and we have asked for that process to be set-up,' he said.

Froggatt said he didn't expect bus drivers would get a break after two hours, but four hours followed by a paid meal break could work.

The Tramways Union represents drivers at NZ Bus, with First Union covering other companies.

NZ Bus said this week it would support the union's call to the government, seeking industry-wide changes to bus driving hours.

'Such as reducing the current limit of five and a half hours of continuous work time without taking a break,' said Claire Neville, operations general manager.

The industry's umbrella organisation the Bus and Coach Association is meeting operators on Tuesday to discuss the impact of the law change.

Unrelated to the ERA changes, the government has been examining the impact on drivers' working conditions on the legislation requiring bus operators to compete for long-running public transport contacts.

Unions say the drive by companies to undercut each other has been at the cost of wages and conditions.

The government has refused to release to Stuff, research it commissioned on the issue, which officials have said 'may be contentious for some participants'.

Minister of Transport Phil Twyford said more work was being carried out and would be completed mid-year.