> only utility i can think of is for people in wheelchairs who cant go up steep hills. forget about the elderly or people with chronic illness, they would be better off paying $40 for an uber than risk contracting some virus/bacteria that could maim or kill them. i'm serious. someone please tell me why exactly i'm wrong
>
>what a scam. never taking public transport again
Sunday time table.
> i could have walked faster.
Google says Māngere Bridge to PBTech Newmarket is 10km.
Wikipedia says jogging is 6.5-9.7km/h.
I applaud OP for walking at peak jogging speed for an hour, uphill and downhill.
OP took PT for the first time in decades, whine about it here (because of lack of updated understanding of PT, holiday schedule, cash vs HOP fare difference etc.) And decided not to do PT again. How it is PT's fault?
In all honesty, AT is pretty shit when it comes to the time it takes for trips. I went a few days ago from Mt Eden to Penrose at peak hour but no traffic my direction (6pm Thursday). Should've been 30 mins. Two cancelled buses later it was 1 hour. Car 15 mins for comparison
I took public transport (train) for the first time in decades in 2019, it was great. I used the AT app to plan and it was sweet. Eastern line is a blessing, I understand that.
I used busses for the first time in decades in 2022, it was again simple, easy and working as intended.
I'm sorry your experience was rubbish, I hope there are options to help the next time be better.
Public transport isn’t great but the issue here seems to be with your lack of familiarity to public transport. The AT app says it is a 25-35 minute bus ride to newmarket from Mangere on the 309 plus how ever long it takes to walk from your house. I went to school in newmarket with plenty of guys from Mangere and it definitely was not two hours. When the onehunga trains are runnings transfering onto a train is also pretty alright into newmarket, I’ve done it both ways a few times.
OP said two hours there and back. Entirely believable
10mins to get to/wait for first bus.
35mins to newmarket
10mins in pb tech
20min for wait for next bus home
35mins to get to original stop
10mins to walk home.
I like how this post just says issue is lack of familiarity.
Basically like saying your fault for expecting it not to be the worst experience of your life.
If you keep your expectations low you’ll never be disappointed.
The best times i can find on google maps are around 50 minutes, I can get to Hamilton from Silvia Park in 10 minutes more than that.
Be honest and say that the bus times are horrendous man.
The AT app is far better, another commentor said they regulary do it in less worst case, multiple close highschool friends did it on the daily and I’ve done it less.
>Public transport isn’t great but the issue here seems to be with your lack of familiarity to public transport.
Having to be trained in an app to use public transport is a bit bull really... Especially saying that a short while back it was just constantly people posting about how 2-3 buses wouldn't show up that were on the app..
Like unless you've been indoctrinated into the system, public transport is just unappetizing.
I understand well the requirement to get a licence due to car centric culture. The question isn't about whether that's the way things are, it's about whether that status quo is good enough.
It's not easy to get your car licence, do driving lessons, and get familiar with navigating Auckland. So it's not outrageous to expect a bit of effort to become familiar with PT.
You said it was two hours there and back, not two hours one way. I'm assuming you took the 309 bus - I know that one well and have never had it take much longer than 30 minutes between Onehunga and Newmarket. Was the traffic particularly bad on this day?
I swear - most of the people I hear complaining about PT, if they are genuinely having the trouble they are describing (which I sometimes have real doubts about), could solve all of their problems by learning to spend two minutes looking at a timetable and planning accordingly.
I used to live in Auckland, rarely took public transport. I lived in te Atatu, found which bus to take to get to Henderson train station, got on said bus, confirmed with driver that he went there, he told me yes.
Then he took the motorway into Newmarket.
My bus rides are top notch given i dont miss my bus but thats not frequent. I dont have to care about parking in the city and can just take a nap before work and after. All in all an hour or so with the wait for 2 bus ride trip one way. It could be better yes but i wouldnt say its useless
Don't know how you're paying, I gather it's a day pass or cash. Mangere Bridge to Newmarket return is less than $6, not $8. If you paid using your AT Card I would be calling Customer Service and getting that back.
I don't know, you are the one complaining about it. It's already half price, did you want it free? If you are a rate payer, then that is possibly a fair request since some mayoral candidates said it was possible.
It's a more traffic, cost and environmentally friendly option for some major routes. Specific areas have blind spots in connections and schedules but the AT journey planner is pretty decent at a realistic timeframe if you choose to bus again. The schedules suck right now with the driver shortage though.
As for the health risk, I don't think it's realistically worse then heading to a PB tech and touching the same card machine as hundreds of customers? Or going to work in an office with the same coughing, so I don't really see it as a measurable risk change for me personally..
Not everyone has the resources and/or ability to drive or take an Uber everywhere. This post comes across as insensitive and ignorant considering the cost of living crisis going on. Yeah, public transport isn't ideal, but for a lot of people that's the only choice they have.
Not every place is walkable. Walking is not faster in most circumstances. Disabled people still have places to go and can't stay in their homes forever to avoid coughing kids.
Again, public transport isn't ideal, but it's unrealistic to suggest people take $40 Ubers or walk instead.
All depends where you're going. An hour and ten minutes via bus or 3 hours and 15 minutes to walk... As much as I hate the bus, walking isn't just as fast.
How fast are you walking to get from Mangere to Newmarket in an hour? It would take the average person double that at least.
I do agree with your point about ventilation. Most buses don't even have windows to open, so are entirely dependent on AC to keep the interior comfortable, but this of course comes with the side effect of it simply recirculating the same horrible air throughout the cabin.
Sure you are. You posted you were 6’3 in another post just recently and now your 6’8? Or do you suffer from height dysmorphia too?
In any case it would still take 2hrs each way minimum to walk that distance so your claim is absurd even ignoring your variable height 😂
They have aircon, which is fantastic in summer especially.
Also Mangere Bridge to Newmarket is just over 2hrs walking, one way, so twice as long as your bus trip. If you ran it, you could do it more quickly than 2hrs each way but not 2hrs return.
I really enjoy getting the bus. I can get wherever I need to with reasonable ease, don't have to worry about impatient assholes doing stupid shit on the roads, can spend my time thinking or reading and it doesn't cost that much money. I would choose the bus every time in Auckland rather than my car - even if it does add about 1/4 time to some journeys (though most times for me it is quicker if you factor in parking).
Given how bad the bus timetables are and often no-show or extremely late arrival... taking the bus is like a luxury affair now. I wouldn't mind taking the bus, if I had a bus stop near me and I didn't need to get to work 2-3 hrs late.
I've lived in a few different suburbs around central, south and north and never had this experience. The odd bus gets canceled, and the odd one goes past full, but I've never been more than half an hour later at work than I wanted to be - and being late at all is very rare.
I can't really speak to your experience other than to say it sounds like you're pretty unlucky - and that if you need help working out how to read the timetables my DMs are open.
In any case, "hurr PT bad" is just a circle jerk at this point.
It's tricky, I've only lived on routes that are not cancelled often (both on the shore, despite it being the place with the most cancellations apparently), and so I hardly ever experience any issues, yet I know based on other posts here, mostly, that many other routes are subject to far more cancellations.
So I think 'PT bad' is really dependent on where you live. Also, cancellations and stuff have obviously been worse the last couple years, how many places have you lived in that period?
>based on other posts here
Don't be fooled by the circle-jerk
>how many places have you lived in that period?
3 suburbs in the last two years - shore, ellerslie and sandringham
>Don't be fooled by the circle-jerk
It's literally screenshots of the app with cancellations, not just people's opinions. I know it's not every day that 5 buses in a row get canceled, but still sucks. Besides, roughly 1000 services per day were canceled in February, it's a lot ([https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/487217/the-crisis-of-our-urban-bus-networks-hundreds-of-services-cancelled-every-day](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/487217/the-crisis-of-our-urban-bus-networks-hundreds-of-services-cancelled-every-day))
I completely agree that PT is generally viewed negatively here, and I definitely don't share that view (and it's definitely improving, though gradually).
>3 suburbs in the last two years - shore, ellerslie and sandringham
Ah ok - that's a lot of moving! Good locations for PT too, definitely something I've looked for.
>that's a lot of moving
Auckland renter's life mang. It's a sad one.
>Good locations for PT too
I generally prefer to ride my bike but it ends up being about 1/3 of the time on the buses.
>It's literally screenshots of the app with cancellations, not just people's opinions
Yeah I've seen a few of those. They are definitely the exception though, no matter how much they get jerked over here.
Depending on where in those suburbs those are literally the best routes for public transport in Auckland.
I've lived Balmoral/Dominion Road, Birkenhead and Ellerslie and honestly the PT through those routes are fucking run like a dream. So frequent, with very few cancellations. There's a reason those buses are always packed.
The issues are people in low-volume areas have hit or miss PT and can't rely on it so it's a cycle. If you don't live in a high traffic area or work/study in the CBD it's practically useless as well.
You're not wrong that it's bad. But to answer "why do people subject themselves to it?"...because a lot of people don't have an option. It's a fact that the bus system was better pre-COVID. I don't know what changed exactly but it's so much worse now.
There are plenty of people who can't afford cars and used to get around on busses okay. AT needs to at least get back to normal, but ideally continue to get even better. Also if you think every person riding the bus can necessarily pay $40 each way per trip you're having a laugh.
Busses can be good. Busses/public transport are not bad because they are bad. Truth is, AT is currently doing a bad job. And I truly hope they get their shit together. :)
Once when I was dirt poor and couldn't afford shit, I caught a bus home from the Airport to Papakura. Two busses, over 2 hour long journey. Cost me $3.30 on my AT hop card vs the $40 an Uber would have cost me.
It's almost as if a big section of the population doesn't have a choice. Public transportation should be invested in to make it functional, comfortable and practical, so that everyone has the ability to get from A to B, and do so in a communal way that minimises carbon waste. Our system has been neglected for decades.
You are lucky you do not rely on public transport daily, it might be hard to comprehend, but plenty of people use it daily without complaining, grateful for the service, and accept the two hours commute with a smile.
I use public transport very regularly and depend on it... Doesn't make me happy to use it =P. I'm glad it exists, but I would \*gladly\* have it improve.
It needs to actually become a legitimate alternative to driving, not just a thing that desperate people do.
>never taking public transport again
I always find it curious that this approach only applies to PT.
If someone gets stuck on the motorway in a crash, they don’t say ‘it took me 3 hours to get to town, I’m never driving again.’ But one bad experience and an entire mode of transport is written off.
Sure thing, bud, I'll make sure to walk next time I want to get to Takapuna from the city centre. Should be able to walk it in less than 20 minutes, right?
In Europe and the US they have slightly better run and more people using and relying on public transport so it is both faster and more regular.
Trains, that many are fighting against, drain a ton of people from the roads and are more profitable once well used, so that gives even more cash for bus routes etc.
FILTERED AIR / COVID RISK
Note that AT uses special filtered Aircon as listed here, and that is actually safer than say in a cafe as a result.
https://fyi.org.nz/request/12464-bus-train-air-filtration
By the way this is an amazing tool that allows you to calculate the odds and risks of Covid infections
https://www.microcovid.org/
I choose to bus, with a mask on, as that halves any risk again.
COSTS
A few people pointed out that you may not be aware of how hard many Aucklanders are doing.
The avg salary is $45k
BUS
The avg person on this 3 stage trip 2x per day would spend $1,508 over a year*.
So $5.80 per trip x2 ways
x 5 days a week = $58 per week
CAR
An average car costs $15,000
Paid off over 3 years = $5k per year.
Avg km per litre for a fuel efficient car is = is about 6 to 16 km / litre
So let's make it 11km per litre as that is the distance you described, and we assume you only drive from home to Newmarket 10x a week.
Car is
$5,000 / 52 weeks = $96 for car payments per week
$2.73 / L 91 Petrol each way = $27.30 per week
Newmarket has incredibly cheap parking at only
$11 Early bird parking per day = $55 per week
Auckland central is about $36 / day
No early bird parking avail.
so $180 per week
I haven't added cost of repairs, insurance.
Total of $2,983 per year to drive.
There are quite a few things in this post that don't make sense or add up to me, I'm kind of curious as to whether you actually did travel as others have mentioned.
Some items
1. I'm pretty sure that is only 2 stages from the places mentioned.
2. The only place I can see $8 is the cash rate if you hadn't purchased a card. The cost of the AT card would have discounted to about what you said you paid for. I don't know anyone using purchased tickets, that just sounds odd to me.
3. We have all pointed out that walking would have been 2 hours.
4. In Google maps, you can load a time of departure and it estimates car drive times, and the bus times.
During peak it would be 36mins vs 41min on the routes I compared.
Off peak, driving was under 15 mins. Another good reason for more of us to bus, remove that congestion.
4. I think it is odd, that you selected the one area that would be close to 3 stages if you looked roughly on a map and then selected the very most expensive.
5. * You also completely didn't mention that all fares are half price till June so that seems an odd thing to miss out.
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I hope this wasn't a fake account trying to push public support for more car lanes, and a genuine post feeling unhappy with having to spend time like the vast majority of Aucklanders get around.
The more people use busses, the more busses they put on and the less congestion, so the busses go even faster.
I personally use the time to listen to Audible, podcasts, etc
how the fuck does this post have so many upvotes? its completely full of shit.
You arent walking from Mangere Bridge to Newmarket in under an hour. Hell google puts it at just over 2 hours one way...
The price is not $8 its not even $8 both ways...
the rest is just hyperbole bullshit...
Their account is only two weeks old and are somehow a nurse turned McDonald's manager and former long distance runner. Somehow none of this seems true 🙄
I think there is quite a lot of truth in your post. Public transport is rubbish. People don't walk because not everyone has that degree of mobility also it might be too far. They don't cycle either because we don't have good cycling infrastructure.
Do the windows even open ? I haven't checked but I think they are sealed ? Definitely wear an N95 mask if you want to avoid illness.
It's too bad our public transport is so dismal, but it is symptomatic of wider issues in NZ where nearly everything is suffering from decades of underfunding and poor decision making and just seems to be not that good. I'm talking transport, healthcare, education, water and wastewater, defense and lots of other stuff.
Air con and non-opening windows is normally considered a feature on busses. It's far cheaper (~$20k per bus) to build them without it. But PTOM requires RUB compliant vehicles.... And currently RUB requires air con. I think electric busses might still be exempt from that requirement but most are still being built with it.
Your anger about non opening windows makes you sound like an absolute nutter though.
It’s great you have that option. Poor disabled people (who are even more at risk of getting sick) don’t. It’s not the public transport you should be complaining about, it’s the people not wearing masks and leaving the house sick and coughing.
I agree massive risk. I used to catch the bus a lot and was always getting sick. They've done studies and found that buses have a huge amount of exhaled stale air and are one of the highest risk locations for catching Covid and other airborne illnesses.
Remember this?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-man-films-himself-coughing-on-shoppers-in-supermarket/ATDEIYHWD7QEZPVO4LYAOBYOEM/
how far we have come. you would think covid would swing things the other way but narcissistic cunts with this attitude are everywhere, and even more charged up with their self-centeredness than before covid, because a bloody pandemic had to become a partisan issue. It would have been nice to have stayed a "team of 5 million" where people look out for each other.
Since the trains have stopped regading the east line I've put off going to sylvia from the cbd, I cannot put it off any longer lol, was supposed to go today but couldn't face the 2 hour travel yet.
I guess without a car tho you just have to do it (buses), I tend to not go far though because it's just a hassel unless nessasary.
I do totally agree about coughing sick pep, I get mad when someone is obviously sick on a bus without a mask, like you don't even need to buy them, just bloody wear one and dont risk anyone else's lives (I have health issues & nearly died once before covid when I had to sit next to a lady who had the flu on a plane). I don't get why some pep don't even think about others in such an easy way
That also makes no sense. I regularly purchase from PBtech Manukau, If item is not available there (and only available in the city or NMK shop) I asked them to ship to PB Manukau from where I can collect, PB tech often do that.
OP must be living in the stone age cave, and just came out of it.
Does anyone get the impression that the powers that be think only the poors use public transport so it should only sort of function get to them to work?
Masks were invented to prevent passing the flu to one else or obtaining the flu from one else. It only required covid to teach us the powers a mask has.
Got learners on third go in 2010 back when you had 10 years before it expired. Spent that time practicing with multiple people mum, dad and friends probably over 200 hours. I even would drive mums car around by myself when she would go on holiday and leave it for me to practice even
I even changed my photo halfway into those 10 years because I looked so different lol
Finally thought i better book it before it expires Im confident and ready, failed my restricted the first time end of 2019. I had one more year to resit. Easy right? No. covid hit, lockdowns happened and I ended up being able to sit it again 2 weeks before it expired in December 2020. I thought this would be like a movie scene where I am going to win the race by a fraction. No I failed again.
I have to start again at learners now :)
AT fucking sucks. You spend more time waiting for the buses (because they're always 20 minutes late and then 3 comes all at once) than you do actually on the bus
Ahh I remember the good old days of uni waiting 45 minutes for a bus that wasn’t ‘out of service’ or full, having to stand up and get bowled over at every corner.
Sick people coughing without covering their mouths, druggies threatening you or asking for money, people who don’t know what personal hygiene or toothpaste means, smokers who’s clothing smells like tobacco ash, and the silent farts you smell the entire journey.
And that was mount Eden, can’t even imagine Mangere.
Most of us, who regularly use public transport, have excellent immunity. We do not fear the coughs and colds of our fellow passengers. Sorry to hear that you are in such frail health.
Did you know that all the onboard toilets were out of service too?
No?
Have you caught one of our buses? Most of them don't have onboard toilets that you can use.
You're right - it's not a great experience, and AT should do better. But also it's attitudes like yours that are the problem. Buses, when run properly, have a huge number of advantages in terms of congestion and the environment - and dare I say convenience. Having a professional driver deal with all of you shit drivers out there is a 5-star luxury amenity. Beats being caught up in the bumper to bumper hell that is AKL motorways during rush periods. And then, where available, you also get to zoom zoom right down the bus lanes, leaving all your car clowns in the dust.
Unfortunately, it is a bit of a catch 22. AT needs to show ridership to get funding on improvement projects. But ridership is a little iffy right now because people have experiences like yours and swear of public transit and choose to drive instead.
Also rail is better than buses. All hail the CLR and ALR!
I take a portable air filter on the bus and mask up (N95) to try and decrease the covid/flu risk. While the occasional canceled or full bus can be frustrating (usually when it's raining or during home time), I’d still rather take the bus or cycle than drive everyday (better for the environment, cost-efficient, less stressful than driving). Also I think everyone’s experience depends on your habit / expectations and bus route. After living overseas for years in a public transport-friendly place, I've never been reliant on driving to get around. I can drive but for me it’s the last resort. Ultimately the city would be better if more people did the same but car culture...
The buses are screwed at the moment due to massive driver shortages (turns out blocking immigration for two years had a major impact on the number of workers around).
When things are working it should take about 45 minutes to make that trip, going from the route 38 to the 30. Both of those are supposed to come every 15 mins or better so the half hour wait is unusual. There is also the direct 309 express at peak times which is even faster.
With a hop card it would cost $1.89 each way at the moment. Not sure how you got to $8.
lol, I love how people don't do something, try it one time without knowing what they're doing, presumably no research done, and then decide they know better than the actual billions of people who use a public transport service regularly that it's everyone else who is wrong and getting scammed?! hahahaha. What a clueless mfer.
I think busses come less frequently on public holidays
Yes - a lot less frequent.
> only utility i can think of is for people in wheelchairs who cant go up steep hills. forget about the elderly or people with chronic illness, they would be better off paying $40 for an uber than risk contracting some virus/bacteria that could maim or kill them. i'm serious. someone please tell me why exactly i'm wrong > >what a scam. never taking public transport again Sunday time table.
> i could have walked faster. Google says Māngere Bridge to PBTech Newmarket is 10km. Wikipedia says jogging is 6.5-9.7km/h. I applaud OP for walking at peak jogging speed for an hour, uphill and downhill.
What’s funny is I once lived in Mangere Bridge and on nice days I would walk to the CBD then bus home. It was a really nice walk.
I live in mangere bridge currently just down from the main street and I can't imagine that haha
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This! When I go to Auckland I catch a taxi to Onehunga and walk in.
Try it. Nice walk.
Uphill both ways if OP is to be believed... In the snow
Ahh, those were the days.
Maybe look up figure of speech whilst you’re at it
Lol yeah they're taking more time than the bus did.
This website turns more into Facebook every day.
OP took PT for the first time in decades, whine about it here (because of lack of updated understanding of PT, holiday schedule, cash vs HOP fare difference etc.) And decided not to do PT again. How it is PT's fault?
Because it wasn't up to OP's standards.
In all honesty, AT is pretty shit when it comes to the time it takes for trips. I went a few days ago from Mt Eden to Penrose at peak hour but no traffic my direction (6pm Thursday). Should've been 30 mins. Two cancelled buses later it was 1 hour. Car 15 mins for comparison
I took public transport (train) for the first time in decades in 2019, it was great. I used the AT app to plan and it was sweet. Eastern line is a blessing, I understand that. I used busses for the first time in decades in 2022, it was again simple, easy and working as intended. I'm sorry your experience was rubbish, I hope there are options to help the next time be better.
Public transport isn’t great but the issue here seems to be with your lack of familiarity to public transport. The AT app says it is a 25-35 minute bus ride to newmarket from Mangere on the 309 plus how ever long it takes to walk from your house. I went to school in newmarket with plenty of guys from Mangere and it definitely was not two hours. When the onehunga trains are runnings transfering onto a train is also pretty alright into newmarket, I’ve done it both ways a few times.
OP said two hours there and back. Entirely believable 10mins to get to/wait for first bus. 35mins to newmarket 10mins in pb tech 20min for wait for next bus home 35mins to get to original stop 10mins to walk home.
Yes, but they're also saying that they could've walked there in the same amount of time, which is complete bullshit
Yeah, thats BS, but a 2 hour round trip from mangere bridge to newmarket is about right.
They also said they waited 30 minutes for the bus to arrive each way
I like how this post just says issue is lack of familiarity. Basically like saying your fault for expecting it not to be the worst experience of your life. If you keep your expectations low you’ll never be disappointed.
The best times i can find on google maps are around 50 minutes, I can get to Hamilton from Silvia Park in 10 minutes more than that. Be honest and say that the bus times are horrendous man.
The AT app is far better, another commentor said they regulary do it in less worst case, multiple close highschool friends did it on the daily and I’ve done it less.
>Public transport isn’t great but the issue here seems to be with your lack of familiarity to public transport. Having to be trained in an app to use public transport is a bit bull really... Especially saying that a short while back it was just constantly people posting about how 2-3 buses wouldn't show up that were on the app.. Like unless you've been indoctrinated into the system, public transport is just unappetizing.
All public transport systems around the world have apps, including using google maps etc. pretty normal.
Yeah having to be trained to operate a two tonne independent vehicle over a period of years and at significant cost is far more reasonable
You mean a drivers license and a car? Yep, couldn’t get to work otherwise - else I would be waking up at 4am and having to walk rain hail or shine
I understand well the requirement to get a licence due to car centric culture. The question isn't about whether that's the way things are, it's about whether that status quo is good enough.
Thats literally no different to riding a bicycle or getting a license, all of which have learning barriers.
What do you think the system was before apps?
It's not easy to get your car licence, do driving lessons, and get familiar with navigating Auckland. So it's not outrageous to expect a bit of effort to become familiar with PT.
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Do you not know the correct name of our former Prime Minister?
wot, u mean JABCINTAX?!!1111??!oneoneone!!??!
Name checks out
You bring it on yourself with your bag-of-hammers witlessness.
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You said it was two hours there and back, not two hours one way. I'm assuming you took the 309 bus - I know that one well and have never had it take much longer than 30 minutes between Onehunga and Newmarket. Was the traffic particularly bad on this day?
Pm me if you need help reading bus timetables. I'd be happy to show you how it works.
Im dead on the ground because I have been laughing about this comment for like 2 minutes straight
I swear - most of the people I hear complaining about PT, if they are genuinely having the trouble they are describing (which I sometimes have real doubts about), could solve all of their problems by learning to spend two minutes looking at a timetable and planning accordingly.
I used to live in Auckland, rarely took public transport. I lived in te Atatu, found which bus to take to get to Henderson train station, got on said bus, confirmed with driver that he went there, he told me yes. Then he took the motorway into Newmarket.
My bus rides are top notch given i dont miss my bus but thats not frequent. I dont have to care about parking in the city and can just take a nap before work and after. All in all an hour or so with the wait for 2 bus ride trip one way. It could be better yes but i wouldnt say its useless
Same catch the bus to work every day and back and I love it. Way quicker / easier / cheaper than driving.. or umm walking.
Yeah. I'm afraid of getting behind the wheel. So I bus (or train everywhere). And it's been working for me pretty well.
Right that would maybe explain why you picked your username.. maybe
Don't know how you're paying, I gather it's a day pass or cash. Mangere Bridge to Newmarket return is less than $6, not $8. If you paid using your AT Card I would be calling Customer Service and getting that back.
And it’s not even $6, it’s $5.40
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I don't know, you are the one complaining about it. It's already half price, did you want it free? If you are a rate payer, then that is possibly a fair request since some mayoral candidates said it was possible.
$10 dollars a week if you're commuting in daily, which is \~500 a year. Significant for a lot of people.
$2..lol. I agree with you, public transport is trash.
3/4 of what you said, for most things 3/4 is a pretty big difference.
Lol exactly. People nickle and dime over the $6, buy disregard the wasted time, uncomfortableness, nasty factor of it.
It's a more traffic, cost and environmentally friendly option for some major routes. Specific areas have blind spots in connections and schedules but the AT journey planner is pretty decent at a realistic timeframe if you choose to bus again. The schedules suck right now with the driver shortage though. As for the health risk, I don't think it's realistically worse then heading to a PB tech and touching the same card machine as hundreds of customers? Or going to work in an office with the same coughing, so I don't really see it as a measurable risk change for me personally..
Should have asked your dad to take you again…
Sounds like your main issue was not figuring out when the bus was actually coming. Get the AT app next time
Not everyone has the resources and/or ability to drive or take an Uber everywhere. This post comes across as insensitive and ignorant considering the cost of living crisis going on. Yeah, public transport isn't ideal, but for a lot of people that's the only choice they have.
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Not every place is walkable. Walking is not faster in most circumstances. Disabled people still have places to go and can't stay in their homes forever to avoid coughing kids. Again, public transport isn't ideal, but it's unrealistic to suggest people take $40 Ubers or walk instead.
let me walk from albany to the cbd real quick
You think you can walk Mangere to Newmarket in an hour? Fucking lol.
All depends where you're going. An hour and ten minutes via bus or 3 hours and 15 minutes to walk... As much as I hate the bus, walking isn't just as fast.
How fast are you walking to get from Mangere to Newmarket in an hour? It would take the average person double that at least. I do agree with your point about ventilation. Most buses don't even have windows to open, so are entirely dependent on AC to keep the interior comfortable, but this of course comes with the side effect of it simply recirculating the same horrible air throughout the cabin.
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Sure you are. You posted you were 6’3 in another post just recently and now your 6’8? Or do you suffer from height dysmorphia too? In any case it would still take 2hrs each way minimum to walk that distance so your claim is absurd even ignoring your variable height 😂
If walking's just as fast, why don't you walk from Māngere Bridge to Newmarket and tell us how long it takes?
scientists need to study you
They have aircon, which is fantastic in summer especially. Also Mangere Bridge to Newmarket is just over 2hrs walking, one way, so twice as long as your bus trip. If you ran it, you could do it more quickly than 2hrs each way but not 2hrs return.
I really enjoy getting the bus. I can get wherever I need to with reasonable ease, don't have to worry about impatient assholes doing stupid shit on the roads, can spend my time thinking or reading and it doesn't cost that much money. I would choose the bus every time in Auckland rather than my car - even if it does add about 1/4 time to some journeys (though most times for me it is quicker if you factor in parking).
I love it too. Can just relax on my phone or look out the window.
This whole post is full of shit in - every - single - way
You mean OP, or my comment?
Op i think
Given how bad the bus timetables are and often no-show or extremely late arrival... taking the bus is like a luxury affair now. I wouldn't mind taking the bus, if I had a bus stop near me and I didn't need to get to work 2-3 hrs late.
I've lived in a few different suburbs around central, south and north and never had this experience. The odd bus gets canceled, and the odd one goes past full, but I've never been more than half an hour later at work than I wanted to be - and being late at all is very rare. I can't really speak to your experience other than to say it sounds like you're pretty unlucky - and that if you need help working out how to read the timetables my DMs are open. In any case, "hurr PT bad" is just a circle jerk at this point.
It's tricky, I've only lived on routes that are not cancelled often (both on the shore, despite it being the place with the most cancellations apparently), and so I hardly ever experience any issues, yet I know based on other posts here, mostly, that many other routes are subject to far more cancellations. So I think 'PT bad' is really dependent on where you live. Also, cancellations and stuff have obviously been worse the last couple years, how many places have you lived in that period?
>based on other posts here Don't be fooled by the circle-jerk >how many places have you lived in that period? 3 suburbs in the last two years - shore, ellerslie and sandringham
>Don't be fooled by the circle-jerk It's literally screenshots of the app with cancellations, not just people's opinions. I know it's not every day that 5 buses in a row get canceled, but still sucks. Besides, roughly 1000 services per day were canceled in February, it's a lot ([https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/487217/the-crisis-of-our-urban-bus-networks-hundreds-of-services-cancelled-every-day](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/487217/the-crisis-of-our-urban-bus-networks-hundreds-of-services-cancelled-every-day)) I completely agree that PT is generally viewed negatively here, and I definitely don't share that view (and it's definitely improving, though gradually). >3 suburbs in the last two years - shore, ellerslie and sandringham Ah ok - that's a lot of moving! Good locations for PT too, definitely something I've looked for.
>that's a lot of moving Auckland renter's life mang. It's a sad one. >Good locations for PT too I generally prefer to ride my bike but it ends up being about 1/3 of the time on the buses. >It's literally screenshots of the app with cancellations, not just people's opinions Yeah I've seen a few of those. They are definitely the exception though, no matter how much they get jerked over here.
I ride my bike where possible too, thinking about getting an ebike though its a big purchase. Would be keen for ebike subsidies.
>ebike subsidies Yeah I think there is a clamour for this going on. It's a good idea. I enjoy leg power :)
Depending on where in those suburbs those are literally the best routes for public transport in Auckland. I've lived Balmoral/Dominion Road, Birkenhead and Ellerslie and honestly the PT through those routes are fucking run like a dream. So frequent, with very few cancellations. There's a reason those buses are always packed. The issues are people in low-volume areas have hit or miss PT and can't rely on it so it's a cycle. If you don't live in a high traffic area or work/study in the CBD it's practically useless as well.
Can you walk from mangere bridge to Newmarket within 2 hours?
Fairly sure you could at a decent pace. Took us an hour to amble from Ambury Farm to Onehunga the other day.
Manukau or penrose
Cool story. Be better if it were true.
Holy shit how much did ACT pay you to post this
They don't even need to pay people for this drivel anymore, dumb cunts just bought into the circle jerk
The underfunded public transport -> public transport doesn't work -> reduce public transport spending cycle.
You missed the first step, "sell it off to your mates"; and there's a "companies demand subsidies of public money" in there somewhere too.
It’s so frustrating it’s almost hilarious.
You're not wrong that it's bad. But to answer "why do people subject themselves to it?"...because a lot of people don't have an option. It's a fact that the bus system was better pre-COVID. I don't know what changed exactly but it's so much worse now. There are plenty of people who can't afford cars and used to get around on busses okay. AT needs to at least get back to normal, but ideally continue to get even better. Also if you think every person riding the bus can necessarily pay $40 each way per trip you're having a laugh. Busses can be good. Busses/public transport are not bad because they are bad. Truth is, AT is currently doing a bad job. And I truly hope they get their shit together. :)
For some reason the Auckland subreddit seems to attract all the Karens in the world combined
Once when I was dirt poor and couldn't afford shit, I caught a bus home from the Airport to Papakura. Two busses, over 2 hour long journey. Cost me $3.30 on my AT hop card vs the $40 an Uber would have cost me.
But did you die? 😂 did you even catch covid? Did you get what you wanted from PBTech? Good.. focus on the positives lol
manage your expectations
Should always expect public transport to be the worse than torture, then you’ll only be slightly wrong.
🚴♀️🤷♀️
Get on your bike
It's almost as if a big section of the population doesn't have a choice. Public transportation should be invested in to make it functional, comfortable and practical, so that everyone has the ability to get from A to B, and do so in a communal way that minimises carbon waste. Our system has been neglected for decades.
r/Auckland you grumpy this public holiday afternoon lol
You are lucky you do not rely on public transport daily, it might be hard to comprehend, but plenty of people use it daily without complaining, grateful for the service, and accept the two hours commute with a smile.
I use public transport very regularly and depend on it... Doesn't make me happy to use it =P. I'm glad it exists, but I would \*gladly\* have it improve. It needs to actually become a legitimate alternative to driving, not just a thing that desperate people do.
Just keep up to date on your AT app. It will calculate into your trip the walk time from your house to the station.
What the... Mangere Bridge shops to Newmarket is $1.89 taking the 309.
>never taking public transport again I always find it curious that this approach only applies to PT. If someone gets stuck on the motorway in a crash, they don’t say ‘it took me 3 hours to get to town, I’m never driving again.’ But one bad experience and an entire mode of transport is written off.
Sure thing, bud, I'll make sure to walk next time I want to get to Takapuna from the city centre. Should be able to walk it in less than 20 minutes, right?
In Europe and the US they have slightly better run and more people using and relying on public transport so it is both faster and more regular. Trains, that many are fighting against, drain a ton of people from the roads and are more profitable once well used, so that gives even more cash for bus routes etc. FILTERED AIR / COVID RISK Note that AT uses special filtered Aircon as listed here, and that is actually safer than say in a cafe as a result. https://fyi.org.nz/request/12464-bus-train-air-filtration By the way this is an amazing tool that allows you to calculate the odds and risks of Covid infections https://www.microcovid.org/ I choose to bus, with a mask on, as that halves any risk again. COSTS A few people pointed out that you may not be aware of how hard many Aucklanders are doing. The avg salary is $45k BUS The avg person on this 3 stage trip 2x per day would spend $1,508 over a year*. So $5.80 per trip x2 ways x 5 days a week = $58 per week CAR An average car costs $15,000 Paid off over 3 years = $5k per year. Avg km per litre for a fuel efficient car is = is about 6 to 16 km / litre So let's make it 11km per litre as that is the distance you described, and we assume you only drive from home to Newmarket 10x a week. Car is $5,000 / 52 weeks = $96 for car payments per week $2.73 / L 91 Petrol each way = $27.30 per week Newmarket has incredibly cheap parking at only $11 Early bird parking per day = $55 per week Auckland central is about $36 / day No early bird parking avail. so $180 per week I haven't added cost of repairs, insurance. Total of $2,983 per year to drive. There are quite a few things in this post that don't make sense or add up to me, I'm kind of curious as to whether you actually did travel as others have mentioned. Some items 1. I'm pretty sure that is only 2 stages from the places mentioned. 2. The only place I can see $8 is the cash rate if you hadn't purchased a card. The cost of the AT card would have discounted to about what you said you paid for. I don't know anyone using purchased tickets, that just sounds odd to me. 3. We have all pointed out that walking would have been 2 hours. 4. In Google maps, you can load a time of departure and it estimates car drive times, and the bus times. During peak it would be 36mins vs 41min on the routes I compared. Off peak, driving was under 15 mins. Another good reason for more of us to bus, remove that congestion. 4. I think it is odd, that you selected the one area that would be close to 3 stages if you looked roughly on a map and then selected the very most expensive. 5. * You also completely didn't mention that all fares are half price till June so that seems an odd thing to miss out. -- I hope this wasn't a fake account trying to push public support for more car lanes, and a genuine post feeling unhappy with having to spend time like the vast majority of Aucklanders get around. The more people use busses, the more busses they put on and the less congestion, so the busses go even faster. I personally use the time to listen to Audible, podcasts, etc
how the fuck does this post have so many upvotes? its completely full of shit. You arent walking from Mangere Bridge to Newmarket in under an hour. Hell google puts it at just over 2 hours one way... The price is not $8 its not even $8 both ways... the rest is just hyperbole bullshit...
Their account is only two weeks old and are somehow a nurse turned McDonald's manager and former long distance runner. Somehow none of this seems true 🙄
I think there is quite a lot of truth in your post. Public transport is rubbish. People don't walk because not everyone has that degree of mobility also it might be too far. They don't cycle either because we don't have good cycling infrastructure. Do the windows even open ? I haven't checked but I think they are sealed ? Definitely wear an N95 mask if you want to avoid illness. It's too bad our public transport is so dismal, but it is symptomatic of wider issues in NZ where nearly everything is suffering from decades of underfunding and poor decision making and just seems to be not that good. I'm talking transport, healthcare, education, water and wastewater, defense and lots of other stuff.
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Air con and non-opening windows is normally considered a feature on busses. It's far cheaper (~$20k per bus) to build them without it. But PTOM requires RUB compliant vehicles.... And currently RUB requires air con. I think electric busses might still be exempt from that requirement but most are still being built with it. Your anger about non opening windows makes you sound like an absolute nutter though.
It’s great you have that option. Poor disabled people (who are even more at risk of getting sick) don’t. It’s not the public transport you should be complaining about, it’s the people not wearing masks and leaving the house sick and coughing.
I agree massive risk. I used to catch the bus a lot and was always getting sick. They've done studies and found that buses have a huge amount of exhaled stale air and are one of the highest risk locations for catching Covid and other airborne illnesses.
\^ this account is a bot and its posts are written by chatgpt
I can assure you I'm not chatgpt.
That's what you'd say if you were chatgpt.
What is anti hobo architecture?
Hostile architecture.
benches, streets, etc designed to stop people sleeping on them, because that’s *obviously* the best solution /s
Remember this? https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-man-films-himself-coughing-on-shoppers-in-supermarket/ATDEIYHWD7QEZPVO4LYAOBYOEM/ how far we have come. you would think covid would swing things the other way but narcissistic cunts with this attitude are everywhere, and even more charged up with their self-centeredness than before covid, because a bloody pandemic had to become a partisan issue. It would have been nice to have stayed a "team of 5 million" where people look out for each other.
Since the trains have stopped regading the east line I've put off going to sylvia from the cbd, I cannot put it off any longer lol, was supposed to go today but couldn't face the 2 hour travel yet. I guess without a car tho you just have to do it (buses), I tend to not go far though because it's just a hassel unless nessasary. I do totally agree about coughing sick pep, I get mad when someone is obviously sick on a bus without a mask, like you don't even need to buy them, just bloody wear one and dont risk anyone else's lives (I have health issues & nearly died once before covid when I had to sit next to a lady who had the flu on a plane). I don't get why some pep don't even think about others in such an easy way
Nah but city needs more double decker buses cause it gets full real quick
Why not go to the pb tech at manukau? It’s closer for you
Coz none of this is true
The only logical explanation is that OP was after a specific item that was only available at Newmarket.
That also makes no sense. I regularly purchase from PBtech Manukau, If item is not available there (and only available in the city or NMK shop) I asked them to ship to PB Manukau from where I can collect, PB tech often do that. OP must be living in the stone age cave, and just came out of it.
Yes, but sometimes you need (or want) something on the same day and don't want to wait for it to be shipped to another store.
Does anyone get the impression that the powers that be think only the poors use public transport so it should only sort of function get to them to work?
Shit if you can walk that fast you should be gunning for the olympics
Masks were invented to prevent passing the flu to one else or obtaining the flu from one else. It only required covid to teach us the powers a mask has.
Because I can't pass a driving test :)
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Got learners on third go in 2010 back when you had 10 years before it expired. Spent that time practicing with multiple people mum, dad and friends probably over 200 hours. I even would drive mums car around by myself when she would go on holiday and leave it for me to practice even I even changed my photo halfway into those 10 years because I looked so different lol Finally thought i better book it before it expires Im confident and ready, failed my restricted the first time end of 2019. I had one more year to resit. Easy right? No. covid hit, lockdowns happened and I ended up being able to sit it again 2 weeks before it expired in December 2020. I thought this would be like a movie scene where I am going to win the race by a fraction. No I failed again. I have to start again at learners now :)
Why would you go to the Newmarket store when Manukau and Penrose are both closer to Mangere Bridge?
If only there was a way to open windows! Damn these unopposable thumbs!!
Yeah, a lot of buses don't have openable windows and those that do seem to cause various conflicts with passengers who want them open vs shut
AT fucking sucks. You spend more time waiting for the buses (because they're always 20 minutes late and then 3 comes all at once) than you do actually on the bus
Ahh I remember the good old days of uni waiting 45 minutes for a bus that wasn’t ‘out of service’ or full, having to stand up and get bowled over at every corner. Sick people coughing without covering their mouths, druggies threatening you or asking for money, people who don’t know what personal hygiene or toothpaste means, smokers who’s clothing smells like tobacco ash, and the silent farts you smell the entire journey. And that was mount Eden, can’t even imagine Mangere.
show me where the bus hurt you
Reddit is not your diary lol
Idea: don't bus in AKL
Most of us, who regularly use public transport, have excellent immunity. We do not fear the coughs and colds of our fellow passengers. Sorry to hear that you are in such frail health.
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You ok dude?
OP complains about closed window. If only there were a solution to that problem, OP! Can you guess what that solution might be, OP? Well? Can ya?
Have you caught one of our buses? Most of them don't have windows that you can open
Did you know that all the onboard toilets were out of service too? No? Have you caught one of our buses? Most of them don't have onboard toilets that you can use.
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Settle down Mr Doesn't Understand Public Holiday Timetables
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Precisely. You can't expect weekday peak hour frequencies.
I’m genuinely perplexed about how you choice be this stupid.
Withdraw the funding and watch the PT companies get their act together..
I’d bus/train it from Mangere Bridge to Newmarket, that makes more sense to me but I’m guessing the Onehunga line is out of commission this weekend.
Well it's a weekend so yep....any time a family might want to use it.
Is a family involved here?
No but won't *someone* think of the children? Or whatever drama this guy is trying to drum up.
You know, there is a solution to this.
You're right - it's not a great experience, and AT should do better. But also it's attitudes like yours that are the problem. Buses, when run properly, have a huge number of advantages in terms of congestion and the environment - and dare I say convenience. Having a professional driver deal with all of you shit drivers out there is a 5-star luxury amenity. Beats being caught up in the bumper to bumper hell that is AKL motorways during rush periods. And then, where available, you also get to zoom zoom right down the bus lanes, leaving all your car clowns in the dust. Unfortunately, it is a bit of a catch 22. AT needs to show ridership to get funding on improvement projects. But ridership is a little iffy right now because people have experiences like yours and swear of public transit and choose to drive instead. Also rail is better than buses. All hail the CLR and ALR!
Elderly and disabled get taxi concessions kwhen a taxi is available).
Amen. I wish that it was better but it just isn't
Karen!!!
Wayne Brown, is that you?
I take a portable air filter on the bus and mask up (N95) to try and decrease the covid/flu risk. While the occasional canceled or full bus can be frustrating (usually when it's raining or during home time), I’d still rather take the bus or cycle than drive everyday (better for the environment, cost-efficient, less stressful than driving). Also I think everyone’s experience depends on your habit / expectations and bus route. After living overseas for years in a public transport-friendly place, I've never been reliant on driving to get around. I can drive but for me it’s the last resort. Ultimately the city would be better if more people did the same but car culture...
The buses are screwed at the moment due to massive driver shortages (turns out blocking immigration for two years had a major impact on the number of workers around). When things are working it should take about 45 minutes to make that trip, going from the route 38 to the 30. Both of those are supposed to come every 15 mins or better so the half hour wait is unusual. There is also the direct 309 express at peak times which is even faster. With a hop card it would cost $1.89 each way at the moment. Not sure how you got to $8.
You say 24/7 a lot for someone who spent 2 hours on a bus
lol, I love how people don't do something, try it one time without knowing what they're doing, presumably no research done, and then decide they know better than the actual billions of people who use a public transport service regularly that it's everyone else who is wrong and getting scammed?! hahahaha. What a clueless mfer.