Eastern bus drivers refuse fares

(File)
(File)

Hundreds of Auckland commuters got free bus rides today as drivers took industrial action by refusing to collect fares.

In another part of town, passengers would have paid handsomely just to get on a bus.

It was a typically busy morning at the bus stop outside Manukau Mall in Auckland, but there was a pleasant surprise for those on Howick and Eastern services today -- no payment was required.

Passengers were more than happy to support the drivers' decision to refuse cash or cards.

"I think good on them. If they need to speak up about something then you know it's right," one commuter says. "And if no one's listening, then they need to do something about it."

The Drivers' Union says the action's part of a dispute with the bus company over overtime and weekend rates.

"If they lose their penal rates, some of our guys will lose as much as $16,000 a year. In this climate that's a pretty large amount of money to lose," says Rudd Hughes from First Union.

In other parts of the city, Aucklanders were happy simply to get on a bus.

Students back at university combined with the end of summer causes "March Madness" -- a longer commute all round.

One student says they left at about 7am and their commute took an hour and a half.

Another says Auckland Transport needs to get some more buses on.

The organisation says it has -- with 35,000 extra seats across the public transport network during March.

Not everyone's been able to get one though, with passengers taking to Twitter to vent their frustration.

 

"The waits have been slightly longer than we would expect, and we're moving buses around the network to try and cope as best we can through March," says Brendon Main, Auckland Transport Bus Services Manager.

During March, Auckland Transport expects 30 percent more passengers than February.

It says it's got every bus available deployed across the network.

But the only way to beat the traffic may be two legs or two wheels.

Newshub.