NZ Bus Considers Removal of Cash on Buses

NZ Bus Considers Removal of Cash on Buses

In the wake of the death of Herman Curry last Friday, NZ Bus has called for a quantum shift in attitudes towards health, safety and security of Public Transport personnel across the Industry. "Our absolute focus is on the safety and security of all people in our business and across the Industry, if a shift to a completely cashless service is the required game changing solution then that option must be explored at pace by the industry, unions and funders" said Mr. Zane Fulljames CEO NZ Bus.

NZ Bus has lead the way in substantially reducing the amount of cash carried by drivers through the introduction of smart card technology, and also by refusing to bow to pressures to allow topping up of smart cards or purchases of passes on buses. Nevertheless, even the relatively small amounts carried by drivers today places them at needless risk as was the case at our Waterloo depot last Friday. All of our drivers are provided training to help reduce the risks of escalating potentially violent situations, and this has helped reduce the severity of incidents, but the risks still remain.

Many have publicly called for CCTV on buses, security gates and guards at depots, and even protective cages for drivers in buses. In our view, these measures all tend to either move the problem elsewhere or create additional risks. We strongly believe that removal of cash is the optimal solution, and that the technology exists in our business today to achieve that. Over 70% of transactions in Wellington, for example, are paid for using Smart Cards. It is only a small leap to move to 100%.

"The root of the security issue here is cash, CCTV monitoring and barricading public transport personnel in to their workplace is not the solution" Mr. Fulljames went on to say.

Of course, there are other benefits to be driven off smart card usage. For instance, many parents tell us how smart cards have reduced the risk of bullying of their children through removal of cash. In addition, the use of smart cards drives efficiency in the bus network by, speeding up boarding times and provides more accurate data on which we and partners rely to design more efficient services.

"Public transport providers and their staff should be focused on working with key partners on improving customer service levels , quality, reliability and frequency of services, delivering value for money and reducing environmental footprints not on when the next theft or assault will occur" Mr. Fulljames concludes.

We thank others in the business community who are lending support to these views and look forward to constructive consideration of the issues by all industry participants.

ENDS

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