Snapper being discontinued on Airport Flyer?

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#2052037 9-Jul-2018 14:22

Stu1: I thought NZ bus contract expires in December and Skybus were interested in the contract.Sky bus is great in. Auckland hope they can make work here as well

I don't think the >80 routes are part of the MetLink network - just commercial services.

Having used SkyBus as visitor to Auckland - nowhere near as easy as the Airport Flyer. SkyBus has fewer stops, less frequent, expensive and takes ages. Last time it didn't even go all the way to Britomart.

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#2052040 9-Jul-2018 14:31

Gotta be better than current service which is useless if you live in the Hutt valley I have to get a bus to the flyer . I just drive in now and leave car at airport. I have been lucky with skybus always stay near queen street. Skybus has been perfect for a concert weekend

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#2052041 9-Jul-2018 14:33

Stu1: I thought NZ bus contract expires in December

There is no "contract", NZ Bus operate it as a totally private business...

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#2052046 9-Jul-2018 14:42

Stu1: Gotta be better than current service which is useless if you live in the Hutt valley I have to get a bus to the flyer .

Well if you're gonna live way out there ...

Seriously though, it's an arterial express service - not expected to service every suburb.

SkyBus is much the same but with fewer stops.

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#2052061 9-Jul-2018 14:55

You've never had a free transfer between the Flyer and buses in the Hutt historically (I realise transfers are new in areas but they've always existed in the Hutt) and the Metlink website has always specifically said transfers do not apply.

Right now NZ Bus are probably after every cent they can get, but there is certainly plenty of speculation they're looking to quit Wellington anyway, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them just shut up shop. There are bus companies in Auckland wanting to quit their contracts as well.

I thought it was interesting a few weeks ago in the news the mention of Skybus looking to come to Wellington and the terminal being able to support both operators. Clearly it would be completely illogical to have two, so it does make me wonder if NZ Bus would simply sell the route to a competitor much like they're done with their other Upper Hutt / Stokes Valley / Wainui commercial routes that have all moved to NZCS.

Skybus aren't a bad operator in Melbourne but the first thing they did in Auckland when they took over was put prices up and scrap the direct city dropoffs. In Wellington the Flyer carries huge numbers of people between Queensgate and Wellington who are not going to the airport (I use it a lot myself) so if they hike prices they'll shoot themselves in the foot since there are subsidised services between the Hutt and Wellington, and from the airport if you're happy with a 5 min walk.

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#2052125 9-Jul-2018 16:57

sbiddle:
You've never had a free transfer between the Flyer and buses in the Hutt historically (I realise transfers are new in areas but they've always existed in the Hutt) and the Metlink website has always specifically said transfers do not apply.

Right now NZ Bus are probably after every cent they can get, but there is certainly plenty of speculation they're looking to quit Wellington anyway, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them just shut up shop. There are bus companies in Auckland wanting to quit their contracts as well.

I thought it was interesting a few weeks ago in the news the mention of Skybus looking to come to Wellington and the terminal being able to support both operators. Clearly it would be completely illogical to have two, so it does make me wonder if NZ Bus would simply sell the route to a competitor much like they're done with their other Upper Hutt / Stokes Valley / Wainui commercial routes that have all moved to NZCS.

Skybus aren't a bad operator in Melbourne but the first thing they did in Auckland when they took over was put prices up and scrap the direct city dropoffs. In Wellington the Flyer carries huge numbers of people between Queensgate and Wellington who are not going to the airport (I use it a lot myself) so if they hike prices they'll shoot themselves in the foot since there are subsidised services between the Hutt and Wellington, and from the airport if you're happy with a 5 min walk.

I used to use it for work travel to the airport from upper Hutt as well as getting home some nights as well when the trains were off. It's too much of a pain to use it now you have to get the 110 walk across the road to then wait for the flyer. Now I just get work to pay for a cab or shuttle as takes too long to get to the airport. I think it would struggle just as airport transport but would of been better if it continued to upper Hutt. One of the biggest issues for transport companies is the capping of gold card fares for example if the company is capped at 100k for the year then get120 k worth of fares then they are out of pocket. The Flyer was great for older people that live past queensgate to go into town and look at the shops. I wonder if the capping influenced the decision to leave only from queensgate. I would use skybus for work if it left from upper hutt otherwise wouldn't bother as there is no park and ride from where the flyer leaves queensgate. There are massive housing developments in Upper Hutt however little improvement in public transport despite increase in population

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#2052163 9-Jul-2018 18:44

Stu1:

I used to use it for work travel to the airport from upper Hutt as well as getting home some nights as well when the trains were off. It's too much of a pain to use it now you have to get the 110 walk across the road to then wait for the flyer. Now I just get work to pay for a cab or shuttle as takes too long to get to the airport. I think it would struggle just as airport transport but would of been better if it continued to upper Hutt. One of the biggest issues for transport companies is the capping of gold card fares for example if the company is capped at 100k for the year then get120 k worth of fares then they are out of pocket. The Flyer was great for older people that live past queensgate to go into town and look at the shops. I wonder if the capping influenced the decision to leave only from queensgate. I would use skybus for work if it left from upper hutt otherwise wouldn't bother as there is no park and ride from where the flyer leaves queensgate. There are massive housing developments in Upper Hutt however little improvement in public transport despite increase in population

They scrapped Upper Hutt years ago because it was uneconomic - you ended up with two buses essentially following each other, although the Flyer was slightly quicker to Queensgate. People I knew at the time in Upper Hutt all used to catch the train to Wellington and then the flyer from Wellington to the airport because it was a) cheaper and b) quicker than catching the 91 all the way.

I can't see Skybus being interested in launching in Upper Hutt for the very same reasons.

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#2052168 9-Jul-2018 18:53

You are right I can't see it either would be nice but probably not viable.

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#2054371 11-Jul-2018 14:37

allan:

ajobbins:

Yep, looks like it. Snapper have said that the operator of the flyer would have needed to put updated gear in shortly, and they opted not to.

But the operator is NZ Bus, who still have a decent chunk of the Wellington bus routes and will be having to put updated units into the GWRC sanctioned ones surely? Doesn't seem to make any sense to me, except to annoy customers who thought they were getting a single payment card on all bus services.

Not sure about the Valley Flyer, but I have been told NZ Bus will no longer run the local Wellington buses (Go Wellington) from 15 July 2018.

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#2054375 11-Jul-2018 14:41

rayonline:

allan:

ajobbins:

Yep, looks like it. Snapper have said that the operator of the flyer would have needed to put updated gear in shortly, and they opted not to.

But the operator is NZ Bus, who still have a decent chunk of the Wellington bus routes and will be having to put updated units into the GWRC sanctioned ones surely? Doesn't seem to make any sense to me, except to annoy customers who thought they were getting a single payment card on all bus services.

Not sure about the Valley Flyer, but I have been told NZ Bus will no longer run the local Wellington buses (Go Wellington) from 15 July 2018.

NZ Bus will continue to run a number of Wellington routes after the 15th July. They have however lost all their Hutt Valley routes (because they didn't tender for them under the new rules) except for Eastbourne, and the North / South Wellington routes will be run by Tranzit

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#2054383 11-Jul-2018 15:12

sbiddle:

Right now NZ Bus are probably after every cent they can get, but there is certainly plenty of speculation they're looking to quit Wellington anyway, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them just shut up shop. There are bus companies in Auckland wanting to quit their contracts as well.

NZ Bus is being "evaluated" by its owners, that's code for if someone makes us a good offer we will take it...

Although if it can actually get out of the bus business, its sites are a significant asset.

it owns a large site (almost an entire block) in the Wynyard quarter in Auckland, and I'm pretty sure they have had offers from Ryman to expand their existing Resthome in Kilbirnie,Wellington.

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#2054393 11-Jul-2018 15:35

wellygary:

sbiddle:

Right now NZ Bus are probably after every cent they can get, but there is certainly plenty of speculation they're looking to quit Wellington anyway, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them just shut up shop. There are bus companies in Auckland wanting to quit their contracts as well.

NZ Bus is being "evaluated" by its owners, that's code for if someone makes us a good offer we will take it...

Although if it can actually get out of the bus business, its sites are a significant asset.

it owns a large site (almost an entire block) in the Wynyard quarter in Auckland, and I'm pretty sure they have had offers from Ryman to expand their existing Resthome in Kilbirnie,Wellington.

It would be interesting to know what the exit clauses are in the contracts. If NZ Bus simply shut up shop both AT and GWRC would need to find new operators, and in Wellington I don't think they could give any additional routes to Tranzit.

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#2054396 11-Jul-2018 15:46

I see an article on Stuff today regarding the removal of Snapper from the Airport Flyer and the possibility of SkyBus being interested in the route.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/105375048/push-for-law-to-guarantee-airport-access-for-councilrun-public-transport-buses

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#2054468 11-Jul-2018 17:13

allan:

I see an article on Stuff today regarding the removal of Snapper from the Airport Flyer and the possibility of SkyBus being interested in the route.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/105375048/push-for-law-to-guarantee-airport-access-for-councilrun-public-transport-buses

Yeah, but parts of that article make absolutely no sense...

"Changes to the Wellington bus network, which take effect from Monday, required the Snapper Card equipment to be upgraded. Snapper chief executive Miki Szikszai told Stuff last week that NZ Bus had chosen not to upgrade its equipment."

It cannot be true that NZ Bus has chosen not to buy new "snapper card equipment" because NZ Bus have retained a number of contracts and will operate them as part of the new Metlink network...

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#2054520 11-Jul-2018 19:38

wellygary:

allan:

I see an article on Stuff today regarding the removal of Snapper from the Airport Flyer and the possibility of SkyBus being interested in the route.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/105375048/push-for-law-to-guarantee-airport-access-for-councilrun-public-transport-buses

Yeah, but parts of that article make absolutely no sense...

"Changes to the Wellington bus network, which take effect from Monday, required the Snapper Card equipment to be upgraded. Snapper chief executive Miki Szikszai told Stuff last week that NZ Bus had chosen not to upgrade its equipment."

It cannot be true that NZ Bus has chosen not to buy new "snapper card equipment" because NZ Bus have retained a number of contracts and will operate them as part of the new Metlink network...

I believe he omitted to conclude it with "...NZ Bus had chosen not to upgrade its equipment for this particular service"

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