A temporary night-time bike rack usage restriction will be put in place on all Metro buses in Greater Christchurch, following a safety notice being issued from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

NZTA has determined that the way some bus models are fitted with bike racks can partially obscure headlights, particularly at night. It has sent an alert to all public transport authorities across the country, asking for operators to check their buses to see which are affected and to resolve any issues accordingly.

As an initial response, bike racks on the front of Metro buses will only be able to be used during daylight hours while adequate testing and changes can be made to ensure compliance. The exact timings of restrictions will vary from month to month to maximise the time available to customers that take their bikes on the bus. The restriction will be in place from Saturday 2 November 2024. For November, the restriction will be in place from 8.45pm to 5.45am.

Restriction times for the months up to and including in March 2025 can be viewed here. Customers that use bike racks are encouraged to refer to this link each month for updates.

“This directive from NZTA is all about public safety. While we have not encountered any issues with the visibility of our headlights before, we want to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep our customers, drivers and the public safe,” Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) Public Transport operations manager Derek Walsh said.

“We ask that our customers travelling with bikes respect this new rule and ensure they board and disembark with their bikes during daylight hours,’” he added.

Staff will work with NZTA and operators to determine the best way to undertake assessments before being able to review the fleet and consider mitigation and funding options. The timeframe for this is not yet known.

“We will continue to communicate with our customers affected by this and will let them know when we have a better idea of how long these restrictions could be in place for,” Derek said.

“We thank our customers for their understanding as we work to get this sorted. Our drivers will be tasked with reminding customers of this new rule, please remember they are just doing their jobs and trying their best to keep everyone safe,” he added.

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