Train services canned and bus cancellations to continue amid 'unprecedented' driver shortage
Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Six Wellington train services have been scrapped indefinitely, while bus commuters can expect cancellations for at least the next six months as an 'unprecedented' driver shortage continues to wreak havoc on the capital's public transport system.
Metlink announced on Wednesday it would cancel six services between Wellington and Johnsonville in the afternoon peak as rail operator Transdev battled dwindling driver numbers.
The trains would be replaced by buses, with the driver shortage expected to last until midway through this year.
Tranzdev chief operating officer Mike Fenton told Greater Wellington regional councillors on Wednesday the company was seeing unprecedented driver turnover.
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'We will have a reasonably significant driver shortage until late this year.'
Many of Tranzdev's drivers had left to join KiwiRail, which paid more and was expanding its operations, Fenton said. It also gave drivers a change from driving electric trains.
Metlink spokeswoman Emily Liddell said Tranzdev expected to lose 12 per cent of its 100-plus drivers this year, up from its average annual turnover of 3.5 per cent.
It hoped to increase its driver pool by 15 per cent by November by doubling its training programmes.
From 25 Feb three afternoon peak Johnsonville services bus replaced until further notice due to a staff shortage https://t.co/tTueY7OiKc
— Metlink Wellington (@metlinkwgtn) February 20, 2019
'We don't have enough train drivers to operate our full timetable right now. Despite extensive planning, forecasting, recruiting, and training, unfortunately we could not have foreseen this shortage.'
Meanwhile, NZ Bus, which has been cancelling up to 30 buses a day in the morning peak in recent days, said it was 20 drivers short and was struggling to attract any applicants at all.
Chief executive Zane Fulljames said the company was working with the council to identify services which could be 'temporarily trimmed'.
'We are going to be cancelling services on a daily basis, and it's down to a shortage of drivers.'
He admitted the company's recent efforts 'fell short'.
'We are disappointed that we haven't been able to meet expectations of our customers, expectations of the council, and the expectations of our staff.'
The company used to receive at least 10 job applications a week, but by the end of last year was getting none, Fulljames said.
In some cases, drivers were working while on annual leave to help alleviate the problem.
'[We] can't continue to work people as hard as they are now.'
The company would look to recruit drivers from overseas during the next six months, and source drivers and buses from other operators.
Regional council chief executive Greg Campbell said it was impossible to predict what bus services would look like over the next six months.
'If there's a shortage of drivers, we just have to reallocate them to other routes. I would certainly hope there's an improvement.'
NZ Bus lost the majority of its Wellington contracts to Tranzurban last year when the region's bus network was overhauled.
Tramways Union secretary Kevin O'Sullivan said about 140 drivers came off contract at that time, and the majority of them decided to retire.
NZ Bus was 'not being well run', with its Wellington network and recruitment system both being run from Auckland, he said.
Pulling in drivers from other companies to help out was 'just mad'.
'That's just a symptom which shows them the whole thing isn't working properly. '
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