Auckland bus services cut as drivers get more breaks in law change

Tuesday, 30 April 2019

Up to 200 bus services a day across Auckland will be cut from Monday as a new law takes effect giving drivers more regular breaks.

While the exact number is not yet known, Auckland Transport expects the cuts to be far less than previously estimated, out of the 12,600 bus services daily.

Driver unions, bus companies, council and the government have been locked in intense negotiations for weeks over how to implement the new law, which will require more drivers to be hired to maintain services.

Minister of Transport Phil Twyford said on Tuesday the parties had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) giving flexibility at first, to bus operators when scheduling rest breaks for bus drivers.

READ MORE: 

* Thousands of buses face cancellation under new meal break law, industry body says

* **1400 bus services could be at risk due to new employment laws, Auckland Transport says

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

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

A change to the Employment Relations Act, overrides previous transport rules on bus driver breaks, and provides for 10 minutes after two hours at the wheel, and 30 minutes after four hours.

Two meetings at Parliament chaired by Twyford and Iain Lees-Galloway, the minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, led to some leeway in when the breaks should be taken.

'I want to thank all parties for trying to make this work: the operators have risen to the challenge of a very complex scheduling task; the unions have been constructive and accommodating by giving operators the flexibility to schedule breaks to minimise disruption; and the councils have been flexible in the time-tabling of services,' said Twyford in a statement.

Richard Wagstaff, CTU union president, said the MOU was a 'hugely positive step' in getting the buses moving on time while ensuring drivers are getting the breaks they are entitled to.

'There is still work which needs to be done - but now everyone has some certainty while a more permanent arrangement can be found which meets the need of bus users, drivers and management,' Wagstaff added.

In the country's biggest commuter bus market, Auckland Transport had previously thought the city would need 90 extra buses, and 350 additional drivers to maintain the current schedules.

Councils, which contract out the services, have signed a memorandum of understanding with bus companies and the unions on being flexible over when breaks can be taken, and providing for up to a year to fully implement the new regime.

Bus companies had been anxious they could be penalised for being unable to maintain all contracted services, and might have to carry the cost of adding drivers and buses.

Until now, drivers could be at the wheel continuously for up to five and a half hours without a break, and drive split shifts spanning 14 hours a day.

The understanding reached between the parties, will pave the way for ongoing talks about other issues facing the bus sector, such as a shortage of drivers, and the unions' bids to achieve a nationwide pay rate equivalent to the living wage.

First Union, which represent drivers in bus operators in several centres, particularly welcomed Twyford's commitment to push for the living wage as a nationwide minimum pay rate.

'We have been campaigning for over two years now for the living wage to be a minimum standard for bus drivers through our Bus Fair campaign,' said spokesperson Jared Abbott.

'This development is extremely positive news for drivers not already receiving living wages and key to attracting more drivers into the industry.' 

Both First Union, and the Tramways Union, are keen to reduce the maximum daily spread of working hours from 14 to 12.