MEDIA RELEASE

9 May 2005

Mayor praises Aucklanders for patience

Mayor of Auckland, Dick Hubbard, is urging Stagecoach and the bus unions to resolve their pay dispute quickly and praising Aucklanders as they cope with the fifth day of a bus strike.

He is calling on residents to continue using car-pooling or alternative forms of transport such as cycling, trains or other bus services during the strike action.

“Aucklanders are bold and adaptable and are coping amazingly well to this disruption,” said Mr Hubbard.

“The strike action is causing problems for many but the good news is that people are using train services in record numbers and car pooling is working well.”

At the Transport and Urban Linkages Committee meeting today, councillors requested the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) and the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) use all practical measures to accelerate resolution of the dispute and reconsider performance measures in future contracts.

Additionally, the committee is urging ARTA and ARC to seek a change to legislation to gain more appropriate control of bus services in the city.

“The strike has highlighted the need for contingency planning as the city becomes more reliant on public transport,” said Councillor Richard Simpson, chairperson of the Transport and Urban Linkages Committee.

“It’s important we are not reliant on one particular mode of transport – the city must be built on a platform of fail-safe transport infrastructure,” says Mr Simpson.

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