Auckland bus changes: 39 services axed due to drivers' breaks law
Monday, 6 May 2019
About 39 bus services a day across Auckland will be cut from Monday as a new law takes effect giving drivers more regular breaks.
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.
The changes come into effect from Monday and prescribe more regular work time breaks for bus drivers. This has resulted in some cancellations of services, due to a lack of drivers to cover the breaks, particularly on the Northern Express, which will run up to five minutes later than previously.
Earlier last week, Auckland Transport announced that approximately 120 of the 13,043 services operated each day would be cancelled but that figure had been falling daily since, and is now down to 39 on a weekday and fewer on the weekend.
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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.
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.
An updated list of the cancelled bus services can be found here.