Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Transport

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) that bus driver protection screens will be installed across Auckland’s bus fleet by 2026.

“The Government is committed to improving the safety of working environments for bus drivers, and Budget 2024 allocated $15 million of Crown funding over two years to do just that,” Mr Brown says.

“The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), who administers the funding on behalf of the Government, has now concluded assessments on the first round of nine bids from Public Transport Authorities (PTAs) for funding across Auckland, Greater Wellington, Nelson-Tasman, and Hawke’s Bay.

“Today, I am pleased to confirm that an agreement has been reached to approve a bid for funding to retrofit full length driver screens for 80 percent of Auckland Transport’s bus fleet by 2026, or approximately 1,100 buses.

“Bus drivers do an important job in our communities and the Government is committed to helping keep them safe as they go about their work. These hardworking New Zealanders often work with little to separate them from their passengers. Safety screens will provide protection and ensure our service continue to run smoothly and safely.

“In addition, NZTA is also considering funding to deliver driver toilet facilities and an on-board live CCTV trial for 30 buses, with results of this trial informing how Auckland Transport will roll out further CCTV cameras in future.

“I look forward to these initiatives being delivered as soon as possible, and other funding bids to be confirmed in due course once final agreements are made.”

Note:

• Through Budget 2024 the Government allocated $15 million of Crown funding over 2 years to improve working environments for bus drivers and support recruitment and retention (the Fund).
• The Fund will be administered by the NZTA through one-off funding contributions on a co-funding basis towards the cost of agreed initiatives.
• In September 2024, NZTA invited PTAs to submit one or more funding applications to the Fund. Applications needed to be for initiatives that would improve the safety and/or physical working conditions for bus drivers. PTAs were advised they needed to coordinate and work with their operators, workforce representatives and territorial authorities as needed. Applications were due by 1 November 2024.
• NZTA concluded its assessment this week and expect to have all funding agreements finalised with all applicants for this first funding round by 20 December 2024. The AT driver protection screens proposal may be resolved prior to this date.

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