The daytime restriction of the use of front-mounted bike racks on all public transport buses will be lifted from Wednesday 16 April in Greater Christchurch, allowing Metro customers to utilise bus bike racks during daylight hours.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has issued a temporary exemption to public transport authorities throughout the country, to enable racks to be used during the day. It follows the agency’s safety notice which it issued in October, which determined the way some bus models are fitted with bike racks can partially obscure headlights.

Since then, public transport authorities, bus operators and NZTA have been working together to resolve the issue. Thorough testing has been undertaken which has determined bike racks can be safely used during the day.

“We are really pleased to be able to offer bike racks to our customers during the day again and we’re hopeful that it won’t be too long before we can offer the service at night too,” Environment Canterbury Public Transport operations manager Derek Walsh said.

The exact timings of the night-time restrictions will vary from month to month to maximise the time available to customers that take their bikes on the buses – these can be viewed on this webpage.

Bike racks will be available full-time on Metro’s Route 8 Port-to-Port service to allow customers to access Lyttelton tunnel (through which cycling is banned) and the ferry. This has been enabled through our operator having a sufficient number of buses which do not require lighting improvement to operate the route. As a result of this, the temporary Lyttelton tunnel bike rack vehicle will no longer be required and will cease to operate as of Wednesday 16 April.

Testing has found some of the fleet need better lighting to mitigate the restricted visibility caused by some racks.

“Our operators are currently installing lights on the buses that require them. You may start to see these on some of our buses. Once the installations are complete across our fleet - and we have all the exemptions through from NZTA - we will be able to remove the night-time restriction,” Derek said.

Customers are asked to ensure their bikes fit within the standard criteria before they try and load them onboard the racks.

“We want to use this as a reminder to customers that bikes on our racks are required to weigh 25kg or less and have wheels from 16 to 29 inches in diameter with a maximum tyre width of 3 inches,” Derek said.

“Most non-electric commuting bikes and many mountain bikes should meet these specs, but if in doubt please check before your trip,” he added.

Customers travelling with bikes are asked to respect the night-time rule and ensure they board and disembark with their bikes during the hours specified.

“Drivers will remind customers of the restrictions. Please remember that our drivers are just doing their jobs and trying their best to keep everyone safe,” Derek said.

“We thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this process,” he said.

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