ARTA plays an important part in keeping the region's buses and their passengers moving. It works in partnership with bus operators and local councils to:
Auckland’s buses carry around 42 million passengers each year. The region has five main operators:
There are around 920 buses in service, with an average age of nine years. Of these, 55 per cent are low-floor and 20 per cent have air conditioning. Around three quarters of the region's bus services are contracted services by ARTA. Their funding comes from two sources: the central government through NZ Transport Agency and the Auckland Regional Council (ARC).
Other services, the commercial services, are run by operators who register their route details with ARTA. ARTA also plans and funds some of the region's school bus services. Others are provided through commercial contracts and by the Ministry of Education.
About 40 per cent of traffic in the morning peak is taking children to school. School bus services are one way that ARTA helps to reduce this traffic. They also offer students a sustainable, safe and practical service to and from their school.
ARTA reviewed school bus services to better meet the individual needs of schools before the start of the 2005 school year. As a result, patronage of school buses increased by around 10 per cent.
Applications for school service are assessed against key criteria, including whether or not regular bus services will meet pupils’ travel needs. If the application is successful, ARTA works with the school to set the routes, and then it contracts and funds the service.
Schools themselves are responsible for communicating service information to students to ensure enough people use them and, in partnership with the bus operator, ensure suitable behaviour on the bus.
Developing Auckland's Bus System
ARTA is working in partnership with a number of organisations to improve and develop the region's bus system. Activities planned over the next 10 years (subject to funding and feedback) and described in the Passenger Transport Network Plan include:
For more information about bus routes, timetables, text services and bus services like the NiteRider, The Link, Northern Express and the free City Circuit hybrid-electric bus is available at www.maxx.co.nz or by phoning the MAXX Contact Centre on (09) 366 6400.
