Sunday, March 24, 2013
The Summer's atrocious service now to be charged to Waihekeans
After an atrocious Summer for passenger experience on Fullers ferries, with several vessels more than occasionally out of service, Quickcat laid up for a Summer rest and multiple smaller boats overloaded to cope with the crowds wanting to share the buzz on the island, the cash flow must have been a bumper one, judging by the TV performance of the company's CEO on Campbell Live the other day, swatting away any criticism of being an overpriced monopoly sucking on the supergold card subsidy teat.
Now that Quickcat is back in service, with an expensive engine repaired, the costs have to be recouped lest the Souter kids go hungry, the monthly pass fare in April is set to rise by 10% to $355 $350, according to the Fullers fares website.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Waihekeans should be so lucky!
Via Auckland Transport blog:
Meanwhile, back on Waiheke, we can look forward to another week of dread in the run up to 1 March. Will Fullers up its monthly fares by $30 in anticipation of paying off the lost revenue due to the 6-month-long out-of-servcie Quickcat? If they do, there is no poin in contacting Mr Lambert to get a similar deal as the North-Westies. Auckland Transport is ball-less when it comes to Fullers.
Three weeks on from the launch of the new Hobsonville and Beach Haven ferry services, patronage is showing good growth above initial forecasts with 26% above forecast for week one (317 passenger journeys); 68% for week two (422 journeys) and 56% for week three (232 journeys for three days).
Capitalising on this beginning, Auckland Transport is offering a special price deal for all trips on the Hobsonville and Beach Haven ferry services to encourage more people to try the service. Special prices are available from 25 February until 24 May 2013.
Auckland Transport’s Manager of Public Transport, Mark Lambert says “It’s been a good start for the new services. We’re looking to stimulate further growth with the special fares helping promote the services and attract more people who may not have been public transport users previously.
“Ferry travel is a very pleasant and time-saving travel option for those working or studying in the city as well as those looking to travel for leisure”, says Mr Lambert
The Hobsonville and Beach Haven ferry services run two morning and three afternoon sailings each week day.
A bus service departing from Westgate connects with ferry sailings at Hobsonville.
Meanwhile, back on Waiheke, we can look forward to another week of dread in the run up to 1 March. Will Fullers up its monthly fares by $30 in anticipation of paying off the lost revenue due to the 6-month-long out-of-servcie Quickcat? If they do, there is no poin in contacting Mr Lambert to get a similar deal as the North-Westies. Auckland Transport is ball-less when it comes to Fullers.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Weekend madness
I really should have known better but it was unavoidable today but to take the 11:00am sailing to Waiheke with the huge hordes of tourists. Luckily it was Superflyte, it even left on time and didn't make that useless and annoying detour via Devonport. So far so good.
The trouble started on Matiatia wharf where the throng of tourists really don't have a clue where to go or what to do. The signs are abominable and mostly lacking anyway and the East German style public address system announcing what gate to proceed to for the preferred experience is unhelpful.
Why are there no proper destination signs at the bus stop line up? It wouldn't cost much to clearly indicate where line 1, 2 and 4 go to and where the touring buses are. Do we really need to teach Auckland Transport how to suck eggs?
Loading up the regular buses took forever (about 30 minutes before they actually started moving) due to passenger confusion and endless questions to the driver. Why can't Fullers sell return tickets to various points of the island and include it in the ferry fare? This would make boarding buses faster due no more fumbling with wrong change.
The trouble started on Matiatia wharf where the throng of tourists really don't have a clue where to go or what to do. The signs are abominable and mostly lacking anyway and the East German style public address system announcing what gate to proceed to for the preferred experience is unhelpful.
Why are there no proper destination signs at the bus stop line up? It wouldn't cost much to clearly indicate where line 1, 2 and 4 go to and where the touring buses are. Do we really need to teach Auckland Transport how to suck eggs?
Loading up the regular buses took forever (about 30 minutes before they actually started moving) due to passenger confusion and endless questions to the driver. Why can't Fullers sell return tickets to various points of the island and include it in the ferry fare? This would make boarding buses faster due no more fumbling with wrong change.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Fullers' Supergold card subsidy is $1.5m a year
From the NZ Herald:
In general terms, the Supergold card has been a boon to those fortunate enough to get their hands on one (and to the NZ First Party, which introduced it), but just imagine what that $10.7m transport subsidy could contribute to lowering the fares for everybody and thus make public transport a more attractive alternative and impact in a significant way on the city traffic problems.
"A regional breakdown of the costs released under the Official Information Act shows $10.7 million was spent on seniors travelling on Auckland ferries, buses and rail. That included the maximum amount of just over $1.5 million to Fullers for seniors travelling on the Waiheke Ferry - funding which was capped in 2010 after blowing out to $2 million a year."$1.5m is about 7% of the national Supergold card budget.
"The Waiheke ferry cap, adjusted for inflation each year, meant Fullers has received no subsidies for some of its Gold Card passengers. Fullers Group chief executive Douglas Hudson said the cap usually ran out between four to eight weeks before the next subsidy round each year, and the company absorbed the full cost of the free fares for that time. "It does cost Fullers to carry those SuperGold cardholders once the cap has been reached," he said."That is a nice attempt at spinning themselves into the victim position. One could view instead the $1.5m as an annual bulkfunding exercise to transport 65-plussers (and hangers-on) to Waiheke.
"However, we are comfortable with the degree of 'free' service we provide because we believe that overall, the advent of free ferry fares for SuperGold cardholders has been beneficial for the Waiheke economy."The economic benefit has certainly accrued to Fullers but the wider impact on the island is disputable: many are day trippers who bring their sandwiches and tea flasks, sit on Onetangi beach for the day and make sure they're back home for tea. I haven't heard any Waiheke business being overrun by oldies, like Fullers (and its buses and tours) are.
In general terms, the Supergold card has been a boon to those fortunate enough to get their hands on one (and to the NZ First Party, which introduced it), but just imagine what that $10.7m transport subsidy could contribute to lowering the fares for everybody and thus make public transport a more attractive alternative and impact in a significant way on the city traffic problems.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Summer madness continues
That awfully nice lady at the Fullers sales counter way back in late October told me the monthly passes for November and December would be discounted by $30 as an "early Christmas present". The pleasantness continued in January when the fare was kept at $325.
But February loomed - and still no sign of Quickcat returning to service - and I was dreading that nice nice lady would take away my Christmas present. When my fellow passengers bought their February passes, the price had indeed gone up to $355. I held off to late on January 31st to buy mine and I was incredulous that I was charged only $325. I asked the young man at the Auckland counter twice to confirm it and yes, he assured me, that was the correct fare.
Cue to chaos, no doubt, when the Fullers CEO made a U-turn on the fare rise, and now everybody who bought an overpriced pass can claim a refund. Make sure you do!
Meanwhile on the water, Saturday morning's 11am sailing from town had about 5 boats on the run to cope with demand. Many people arrived on Waiheke after midday. A glorious Summer season, marred by you-know-who.
But February loomed - and still no sign of Quickcat returning to service - and I was dreading that nice nice lady would take away my Christmas present. When my fellow passengers bought their February passes, the price had indeed gone up to $355. I held off to late on January 31st to buy mine and I was incredulous that I was charged only $325. I asked the young man at the Auckland counter twice to confirm it and yes, he assured me, that was the correct fare.
Cue to chaos, no doubt, when the Fullers CEO made a U-turn on the fare rise, and now everybody who bought an overpriced pass can claim a refund. Make sure you do!
Meanwhile on the water, Saturday morning's 11am sailing from town had about 5 boats on the run to cope with demand. Many people arrived on Waiheke after midday. A glorious Summer season, marred by you-know-who.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Crack of dawn
For the first time ever I had to take the 6:05am sailing from Waiheke. A posse of about 50 people had turned up for that first boat. But 6:05 came and went. At first I thought it was a dastardly ploy to drum up business for the Matiatia coffee shop (tell everyone the boat leaves at 6:05 but routinely depart late), but then we were told that Starflyte had broken down en route to Waiheke and had had to run back to Auckland. So we had to cram on the 6:40am instead, with its usual load of passengers. Thanks Fullers for a missed appointment.
Oh, and Quickcat still offers a sorry sight, all moored up where the Kestrel used to be. Perhaps they could lease it out to the Cloud to handle the overflow of revelling punters. Maybe offer a jazz band of an evening. She ain't going nowhere fast either.
Oh, and Quickcat still offers a sorry sight, all moored up where the Kestrel used to be. Perhaps they could lease it out to the Cloud to handle the overflow of revelling punters. Maybe offer a jazz band of an evening. She ain't going nowhere fast either.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Weekend sailings
With the amount of breakdowns and boats out of service you can start to think that diesel technology for Fullers is really rocket science.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
AT Hop card anno zero
Tonight's
10:15 back to the rock left from Pier 1 which has been transformed into
sheep pens. Join a pen according to your destination. Follow the
coloured lines to your destiny. Of course, Waiheke services from Pier 1
are not indicated. So we were penned in the area without seating. $4,260
a year and not even a place to sit when you wait.
All this because the AT Hop card system starts tomorrow. Tagging on and off before you board and when you disembark on a standard fare ticket. On the Waiheke side there is only one tag post. That'll be fun and games when 500 passengers want to pass through and half get a refusal signal. Expect some irate passengers backing up in the rear.
All this because the AT Hop card system starts tomorrow. Tagging on and off before you board and when you disembark on a standard fare ticket. On the Waiheke side there is only one tag post. That'll be fun and games when 500 passengers want to pass through and half get a refusal signal. Expect some irate passengers backing up in the rear.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
One day
Tuesday morning, the start of the working week for me and I was already dreading the ferry service now that Superflyte is on survey. Surprisingly, at the 8:00am sailing, there were two vessels available, which made disembarking and embarking a breeze. Both got away well on time and - odd this - arrived in Auckland at 8:35am. Congratulations, Fullers! (Never let it be said that we don't give due where warranted)
The large boats never manage to do this and Fullers now routinely say it's a 40 minute trip instead of a 35 minute one to Waiheke. Why is it like this? Because larger boats usually leave late and never catch up with their timetable (if there was such a thing in Fullers' universe).
So, arrived on time, plenty of buses in Auckland available to get me to work and arrived even early.
Wednesday and Thursday I was expecting the same kind of good service as a $4,260-a-year fare befits. But no such luck. The diesel bill for two vessels must have caused palpitations in Fullers HQ and so we got Starflyte only: small gang plank, endless embarkation time, late departure and late arrival. Back to business as usual.
UPDATE: I heard from a reliable source that the person responsible for the sailings management at Fullers got an earful for putting on two boats. So I wasn't far wrong about the palpitations.
The large boats never manage to do this and Fullers now routinely say it's a 40 minute trip instead of a 35 minute one to Waiheke. Why is it like this? Because larger boats usually leave late and never catch up with their timetable (if there was such a thing in Fullers' universe).
So, arrived on time, plenty of buses in Auckland available to get me to work and arrived even early.
Wednesday and Thursday I was expecting the same kind of good service as a $4,260-a-year fare befits. But no such luck. The diesel bill for two vessels must have caused palpitations in Fullers HQ and so we got Starflyte only: small gang plank, endless embarkation time, late departure and late arrival. Back to business as usual.
UPDATE: I heard from a reliable source that the person responsible for the sailings management at Fullers got an earful for putting on two boats. So I wasn't far wrong about the palpitations.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Submission to the draft 2012 Auckland Public Transport Plan
Auckland Transport is inviting submissions to its draft plan for Auckland's public transport for the next 10 years. A PDF of the draft is here. You have until 5 November at 4:00pm to send in your submissions.
And here is mine:
SUBMISSION TO THE AUCKLAND REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLAN 2012
I wish to make this submission to the draft Auckland Regional Public Transport Plan as a resident of Waiheke Island who has had 12 years' experience of daily commuting to the city on Fullers Ferries, using the bus services on the mainland and on the island. As an Auckland ratepayer I contribute to the subsidies doled out to the various current public transport operators under the PTMA/PTOM scheme.
I have been a member of “Fullerswatch”, a public watchdog covering public transport and monopoly issues on the Hauraki Gulf and will use its past research and postings to illustrate issues in this submission. But overall this submission is my personal opinion.
ISSUE 1: WAIHEKE ISLAND'S CURRENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLIGHT
Waiheke Island is unique in Auckland's transport system in that it is served by two private monopoly providers, Fullers Ferries and Sea Link. Both companies are the lifelines for the island's well-being and economic development, including a valuable source of rates revenue for Auckland Council.
Waiheke is a nationally important tourist destination for Aucklanders, New Zealanders and many international visitors. Those two companies allow islanders to live locally and commute to town for work and play. Many Aucklanders come to Waiheke for day trips, weekends and summer holidays.
In all, about 1,000 commuters a day are kept off Auckland roads by being able to commute by ferry.
The island bus service, owned and operated by Fullers, is a feeder service for its ferries, but doesn't really function well as a convenient local public transport service for islanders. It gets subsidised by Auckland Transport, while the ferry route is a fully commercial, unsubsidised and "exempted service”.
Fullers Ferries (and Sea Link) isn't really a public transport company. It is a private transport provider mainly aimed at tourists. Its commuter service is incidental, although highly valuable in the off-season for Fullers’ cash flow. But it is not its priority service as vessels get taken out of commuter service when they are hired by private functions and groups.
Fullers’ monopoly on the Hauraki Gulf has been long established after it saw off its last competition late last century. The company has enjoyed this happy position for over a decade, unchallenged by any viable competition or regulatory intervention in fares and service delivery. It also enjoys priority berthing rights at the Downtown Ferry Terminal.
The outlook for the next ten years for the Waiheke ferry service is grim. The Draft Plan envisages a "doubling of passenger numbers" but, as far as I know, there are no plans by Fullers to invest in any new low emissions vessels, despite the "youngest" boat being 16 years old. I would love to know what the Fullers’ reaction is to the draft Plan’s "Ferry Standard for New Ferries used in Urban Passenger Service for modern, low emission ferries, and will ensure that vessels used on future contracts for ferry services conform with this standard". (My guess: a snigger)
The current fleet will still be ageing, suffer even more regular breakdowns, mishaps and fires than we have been experiencing lately. Vessel survey periods will become lengthier, causing smaller replacement service vessels to be continually overcrowded.
The only thing we can be certain of is that fares will rise, no matter what happens to economic conditions, fuel prices, labour and other operating costs.
We can look forward in the coming 10 years to monthly pass fares in the $600+ range, extrapolating from the 75% rise over the past 12 years (from $199 in 2000 to $355 in 2012).
ISSUE 2: "EXEMPTED SERVICES"
Nowhere in the Draft Plan is this concept rationalised. Why are these services exempted? Who decreed this and on which economic or social advantageous grounds? What purpose do they serve being outside the Auckland Transport public transport remit? Why will they remain exempt in the next 10 or 20 years from the integrated system envisaged by the Plan? Why do you think it is rational to keep their fares systems in place when the general desire is to have integrated fares and transport modes?
This exempted services concept needs to be abolished. There is no rational, nor economic reason to maintain balkanised public transport services across Auckland with separate and mutually incompatible fare structures.
London's Oyster and Hong Kong's Octopus cards, on which Hop mirrors itself, offer passengers travel across all transport modes: underground, buses, trams and ferries. There are no sane reasons why the Auckland Hop card should not offer this same interoperability across transport modes in Auckland: buses, trains, all ferries and Airport bus. Not having this integration has a baffling effect on the tourist arriving at Auckland Airport, who is faced with an Airport bus to downtown and to Manukau. One of which he can buy a Hop card for, enabling him to use it later during his visit on other buses and trains. If he wants to visit Waiheke, there is another separate fare to be paid to Fullers - and if he's lucky, his Hop card may be acceptable on the Waiheke Bus (since that is an AT subsidised service and thus not "exempt").
In this RPT Plan there is no mention of how the damning comments in international guides such as Lonely Planet on the poor state of PT in Auckland is going to be tackled. Certainly not by maintaining the exempt service status of the first two transport modes an international tourist comes face to face with after a long haul flight. Crucially, this same problem, of course, confronts Waiheke Islanders, Aucklanders and New Zealanders as well. Why set up a whole infrastructure of integrated fares and transport modes while at the same time exempting pretty important parts of it? Why keep on this confusion and inconvenience for seasoned and one-off travellers alike?
Exempt status means the companies can set fares, timetables and conditions at will.
This is unacceptable.
Sailings get delayed, cancelled or have to return to base due to technical failure on a regular basis with few apologies and little compensation for missed connections, flights or appointments. There are no commercial consequences for the company so it has no incentive to improve its service delivery.
Fullers has basically proven itself to be incapable of providing a quality service in terms of punctuality, reliability and passenger comfort, at a reasonable fare for the past 12 years, ever since the competition on the run was seen off in the last century. It acts as a typical monopolistic private provider only interested in its bottom line and adopting a cost-plus-plus mentality in its fare policy. Fare box recovery is already 102% on the Waiheke route: we pay a full unsubsidised fare plus wharf tax (i.e. fares could be halved and still meet your 50% target?).
This has resulted in Fullers commuter fares consistently being the highest in the world among commuter ferry operators, and fares over the past 12 years have risen higher than the CPI inflation figure - which includes business cost price factors like fuel and labour - would justify.
You only need to compare this price evolution to the commercial domestic aviation market: 10 years ago a flight from Auckland to Wellington cost the equivalent of a Fullers Waiheke monthly pass. Now airfares are the equivalent of one return ticket. There is never any chance of $7 Air New Zealand promotional fares - let alone current 1c JetStar offers on the Hauraki Gulf.
Auckland Transport should monitor service delivery for operators outside contracted services as well as all other PT providers.
ISSUE 3: PTOM
Fullers (and Sea Link) must be brought under this regime with the abolition of the "exempted service" category as soon as possible and certainly by the time all public transport in Auckland is regulated, planned and implemented under one umbrella, zone- and fares-wise.
I have no illusions that the ferry companies will fight – as a Flemish proverb has it “like the Devil in a bath tub of Holy Water” – this inclusion from ever happening. But that doesn’t mean you, as the public transport regulator, cannot do that. The Plan PTOM definition states: "Grow confidence that services are priced efficiently and that competitors have access to public transport markets".
This should mean that Auckland Transport should ensure a level playing field on Hauraki Gulf and adopt as its main task being a PT regulator and monopoly buster – something which has been sorely lacking in the past.
ISSUE 4: SUPER GOLDCARD
An overhaul of the Super Gold Card system is needed, especially by linking card IDs with public transport tickets issued to prevent opportunities for fraud by operating companies and to protect the taxpayer.
The Super Gold Card must be replaced by Hop card allowing discounts/free travel in predetermined time periods. This would allow for proper surveillance and audit.
ISSUE 5: FARES AND ZONES INTEGRATION TO INCLUDE WAIHEKE ISLAND
The Waiheke ferry service should be included on equitable basis in any fare structures and zone geography that are proposed. Octopus card in Hong Kong includes the Airport service, underground, bus, trams and ferries. Hop card should mirror this integration. Fullers Waiheke must be brought into this system with stored value discounts, monthly passes and daily caps.
All ferry services need to be integrated in the zone system, not point to point (Point 4.3.c. (p36)).
Regards Figure 6-1 (fare zone boundaries): Waiheke should be 4 zones from the CBD, like Manurewa and Papakura are, as they are a similar distance away.
Pine Harbour ferry is same distance too from CBD and there is no rational reason not to have a similar fare structure for Waiheke ferry (in comparison, currently a 40-ride ticket is $355 on Pine Harbour and $469 on Fullers)
ISSUE 6: INFRASTRUCTURE
Abolish the wharf tax.
Waihekeans in effect pay, due to their sheer numbers using the wharves, for the investment and maintenance of all other wharves in the region, but we don't get to own them despite our investment. Bus users don't pay a separate "bus shelter tax", nor train passengers a "station tax", thus ferry passengers should not be charged a wharf tax.
END NOTES
Waiheke Islanders are a feisty and hardy lot, and a politically active and aware community. We care about our island, its future and its environment, social conditions and well-being for our diverse inhabitants, most of whom are not well-off.
While we are not always happy campers within the Auckland City set up, we have a legitimate grievance against what we perceive as inaction and neglect of our transport links within AT’s regulatory framework. We want this remedied within the Draft Plan. The ability to travel by islanders and visitors alike must be seamless and on an equal footing with other areas in the city.
And here is mine:
SUBMISSION TO THE AUCKLAND REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLAN 2012
I wish to make this submission to the draft Auckland Regional Public Transport Plan as a resident of Waiheke Island who has had 12 years' experience of daily commuting to the city on Fullers Ferries, using the bus services on the mainland and on the island. As an Auckland ratepayer I contribute to the subsidies doled out to the various current public transport operators under the PTMA/PTOM scheme.
I have been a member of “Fullerswatch”, a public watchdog covering public transport and monopoly issues on the Hauraki Gulf and will use its past research and postings to illustrate issues in this submission. But overall this submission is my personal opinion.
ISSUE 1: WAIHEKE ISLAND'S CURRENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLIGHT
Waiheke Island is unique in Auckland's transport system in that it is served by two private monopoly providers, Fullers Ferries and Sea Link. Both companies are the lifelines for the island's well-being and economic development, including a valuable source of rates revenue for Auckland Council.
Waiheke is a nationally important tourist destination for Aucklanders, New Zealanders and many international visitors. Those two companies allow islanders to live locally and commute to town for work and play. Many Aucklanders come to Waiheke for day trips, weekends and summer holidays.
In all, about 1,000 commuters a day are kept off Auckland roads by being able to commute by ferry.
The island bus service, owned and operated by Fullers, is a feeder service for its ferries, but doesn't really function well as a convenient local public transport service for islanders. It gets subsidised by Auckland Transport, while the ferry route is a fully commercial, unsubsidised and "exempted service”.
Fullers Ferries (and Sea Link) isn't really a public transport company. It is a private transport provider mainly aimed at tourists. Its commuter service is incidental, although highly valuable in the off-season for Fullers’ cash flow. But it is not its priority service as vessels get taken out of commuter service when they are hired by private functions and groups.
Fullers’ monopoly on the Hauraki Gulf has been long established after it saw off its last competition late last century. The company has enjoyed this happy position for over a decade, unchallenged by any viable competition or regulatory intervention in fares and service delivery. It also enjoys priority berthing rights at the Downtown Ferry Terminal.
The outlook for the next ten years for the Waiheke ferry service is grim. The Draft Plan envisages a "doubling of passenger numbers" but, as far as I know, there are no plans by Fullers to invest in any new low emissions vessels, despite the "youngest" boat being 16 years old. I would love to know what the Fullers’ reaction is to the draft Plan’s "Ferry Standard for New Ferries used in Urban Passenger Service for modern, low emission ferries, and will ensure that vessels used on future contracts for ferry services conform with this standard". (My guess: a snigger)
The current fleet will still be ageing, suffer even more regular breakdowns, mishaps and fires than we have been experiencing lately. Vessel survey periods will become lengthier, causing smaller replacement service vessels to be continually overcrowded.
The only thing we can be certain of is that fares will rise, no matter what happens to economic conditions, fuel prices, labour and other operating costs.
We can look forward in the coming 10 years to monthly pass fares in the $600+ range, extrapolating from the 75% rise over the past 12 years (from $199 in 2000 to $355 in 2012).
ISSUE 2: "EXEMPTED SERVICES"
Nowhere in the Draft Plan is this concept rationalised. Why are these services exempted? Who decreed this and on which economic or social advantageous grounds? What purpose do they serve being outside the Auckland Transport public transport remit? Why will they remain exempt in the next 10 or 20 years from the integrated system envisaged by the Plan? Why do you think it is rational to keep their fares systems in place when the general desire is to have integrated fares and transport modes?
This exempted services concept needs to be abolished. There is no rational, nor economic reason to maintain balkanised public transport services across Auckland with separate and mutually incompatible fare structures.
London's Oyster and Hong Kong's Octopus cards, on which Hop mirrors itself, offer passengers travel across all transport modes: underground, buses, trams and ferries. There are no sane reasons why the Auckland Hop card should not offer this same interoperability across transport modes in Auckland: buses, trains, all ferries and Airport bus. Not having this integration has a baffling effect on the tourist arriving at Auckland Airport, who is faced with an Airport bus to downtown and to Manukau. One of which he can buy a Hop card for, enabling him to use it later during his visit on other buses and trains. If he wants to visit Waiheke, there is another separate fare to be paid to Fullers - and if he's lucky, his Hop card may be acceptable on the Waiheke Bus (since that is an AT subsidised service and thus not "exempt").
In this RPT Plan there is no mention of how the damning comments in international guides such as Lonely Planet on the poor state of PT in Auckland is going to be tackled. Certainly not by maintaining the exempt service status of the first two transport modes an international tourist comes face to face with after a long haul flight. Crucially, this same problem, of course, confronts Waiheke Islanders, Aucklanders and New Zealanders as well. Why set up a whole infrastructure of integrated fares and transport modes while at the same time exempting pretty important parts of it? Why keep on this confusion and inconvenience for seasoned and one-off travellers alike?
Exempt status means the companies can set fares, timetables and conditions at will.
This is unacceptable.
Sailings get delayed, cancelled or have to return to base due to technical failure on a regular basis with few apologies and little compensation for missed connections, flights or appointments. There are no commercial consequences for the company so it has no incentive to improve its service delivery.
Fullers has basically proven itself to be incapable of providing a quality service in terms of punctuality, reliability and passenger comfort, at a reasonable fare for the past 12 years, ever since the competition on the run was seen off in the last century. It acts as a typical monopolistic private provider only interested in its bottom line and adopting a cost-plus-plus mentality in its fare policy. Fare box recovery is already 102% on the Waiheke route: we pay a full unsubsidised fare plus wharf tax (i.e. fares could be halved and still meet your 50% target?).
This has resulted in Fullers commuter fares consistently being the highest in the world among commuter ferry operators, and fares over the past 12 years have risen higher than the CPI inflation figure - which includes business cost price factors like fuel and labour - would justify.
You only need to compare this price evolution to the commercial domestic aviation market: 10 years ago a flight from Auckland to Wellington cost the equivalent of a Fullers Waiheke monthly pass. Now airfares are the equivalent of one return ticket. There is never any chance of $7 Air New Zealand promotional fares - let alone current 1c JetStar offers on the Hauraki Gulf.
Auckland Transport should monitor service delivery for operators outside contracted services as well as all other PT providers.
ISSUE 3: PTOM
Fullers (and Sea Link) must be brought under this regime with the abolition of the "exempted service" category as soon as possible and certainly by the time all public transport in Auckland is regulated, planned and implemented under one umbrella, zone- and fares-wise.
I have no illusions that the ferry companies will fight – as a Flemish proverb has it “like the Devil in a bath tub of Holy Water” – this inclusion from ever happening. But that doesn’t mean you, as the public transport regulator, cannot do that. The Plan PTOM definition states: "Grow confidence that services are priced efficiently and that competitors have access to public transport markets".
This should mean that Auckland Transport should ensure a level playing field on Hauraki Gulf and adopt as its main task being a PT regulator and monopoly buster – something which has been sorely lacking in the past.
ISSUE 4: SUPER GOLDCARD
An overhaul of the Super Gold Card system is needed, especially by linking card IDs with public transport tickets issued to prevent opportunities for fraud by operating companies and to protect the taxpayer.
The Super Gold Card must be replaced by Hop card allowing discounts/free travel in predetermined time periods. This would allow for proper surveillance and audit.
ISSUE 5: FARES AND ZONES INTEGRATION TO INCLUDE WAIHEKE ISLAND
The Waiheke ferry service should be included on equitable basis in any fare structures and zone geography that are proposed. Octopus card in Hong Kong includes the Airport service, underground, bus, trams and ferries. Hop card should mirror this integration. Fullers Waiheke must be brought into this system with stored value discounts, monthly passes and daily caps.
All ferry services need to be integrated in the zone system, not point to point (Point 4.3.c. (p36)).
Regards Figure 6-1 (fare zone boundaries): Waiheke should be 4 zones from the CBD, like Manurewa and Papakura are, as they are a similar distance away.
Pine Harbour ferry is same distance too from CBD and there is no rational reason not to have a similar fare structure for Waiheke ferry (in comparison, currently a 40-ride ticket is $355 on Pine Harbour and $469 on Fullers)
ISSUE 6: INFRASTRUCTURE
Abolish the wharf tax.
Waihekeans in effect pay, due to their sheer numbers using the wharves, for the investment and maintenance of all other wharves in the region, but we don't get to own them despite our investment. Bus users don't pay a separate "bus shelter tax", nor train passengers a "station tax", thus ferry passengers should not be charged a wharf tax.
END NOTES
Waiheke Islanders are a feisty and hardy lot, and a politically active and aware community. We care about our island, its future and its environment, social conditions and well-being for our diverse inhabitants, most of whom are not well-off.
While we are not always happy campers within the Auckland City set up, we have a legitimate grievance against what we perceive as inaction and neglect of our transport links within AT’s regulatory framework. We want this remedied within the Draft Plan. The ability to travel by islanders and visitors alike must be seamless and on an equal footing with other areas in the city.
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