Faster reform of Waiheke Island ferry services needed: MP Nikki Kaye

Thursday, 4 July 2019

Locals from across Waiheke Island gathered at Morra Hall in Oneroa in June to listen to what Fullers had to say about their concerns with the ferry service to and from Auckland city (Video first published October 2019).

Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye wants answers in months not years over Waiheke Island's commuter ferry monopoly.

Kaye wants change within months rather than years on the run, which operates outside the control of the city's transport agency.

The MP wants the council agency Auckland Transport to give priority boarding to the vulnerable and to island residents, bring the services operated by Fullers into the more attractive fare deals coming to other routes next February, and end Fullers exemption from AT control.

'We need a timeline on the discussions between Fullers and AT and we need assurances that Fullers intends to be co-operative, swift and reasonable in their response,' said Kaye.

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Fullers' Devonport and Waiheke Island ferry services are anomalies, having been granted an exemption by the previous Government from inclusion in the city's council-controlled public transport system.

Unlike other public transport services, the runs are unsubsidised and carry nearly three-quarters of Auckland's 6.3 million ferry trips a year.

Rumblings of discontent on Waiheke Island culminated in a public meeting in June where complaints were aired about excessive fares, and the absence of penalties applied to Fullers if services failed to run on time, or at all.

Residents have expressed anger over reduced winter services to and from Auckland's CBD, long queues, delays and cancelled services.

'This Sunday afternoon we had successive queues of people left at Waiheke Wharf in bitterly cold conditions,' said Cath Handley, the chair of the Waiheke Local Board.

Fullers CEO Mike Horne apologised at the June public meeting and pledged to work hard, but Handley said weeks had gone by and nothing had changed.

The rest of Auckland's ferry services which are controlled by AT will from February being linked into the city-wide electronic ticketing system making bus and train connections either side of a ferry trip, free of charge.

So-called integrated fares would be extended to Fullers services only with the company's agreement.

Auckland Transport said talks had begun with Fullers, but because the two services were 'exempt' any subsidies on the connecting ares would have to be fully-funded by the council, without the usual half share from the Government.

The exemption is part of the Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) regulation, which the Government has agreed to review, but said that could take up to 18 months.

Fullers told Stuff it was happy to be part of integrated fares.

'We are currently in commercial discussions with Auckland Transport and collaboratively working through the detail,' it said in a statement.

The company also said it was open to the PTOM review and the exempt status.

'Any review must encourage necessary investment in wharf infrastructure to support ferry services by Auckland Council and Auckland Transport as the owner of that infrastructure,' it said.

Mayor Phil Goff told Stuff that any additional cost of bringing Fullers into integrated fares 'would need to be considered by council within the scope of its budget, and after discussions with central Government around funding questions.'

'What I would like to see, and what I have asked Auckland Transport to investigate, is the discrepancies between what Fullers says and what Waiheke Islanders are reporting with respect to reliability of service,' said Goff.

Fullers is owned by Edinburgh-based Souter Investments, which also owns Auckland-based Howick and Eastern buses and Wellington's Mana coach services.