In previous years, I didn't have a problem using it and I actually found it efficient because it came every 10 minutes. Having the Northern Busway helped too as we avoid peak-hour traffic. However, every Friday after 3pm since Uni started, I find myself lining up for more than 15 minutes just to get on the bus. The queue is so long it almost reaches the Westfield Downtown Mall entrance. I took a photo from last Friday when I was lining up:
For the past year and a half that I have been taking the Northern Express, I have not seen a queue as long as what I have experienced for the past three weeks. On March 11th, I was on a much longer queue so on Friday, I rushed after class and pretty much speed-walked from Uni to Britomart. It was annoying because waiting in line for twenty minutes is not something I want to do on a late Friday afternoon. I want to get home as quickly and efficiently as I can. It also doesn't help that the bus stop is by the corner so the queue blocks people walking and crossing to Queen Street. We are not only in this long line but we get stuck with a cluster of people who are waiting to cross as well. I can just say that it is not the best experience. For people who have no idea of this situation, I found a video of the queue for the Northern Express in Youtube:
There is no question that the public transport system for the North Shore is overloaded. The Northern Express is the main transport for most people who live there. The Northern Busway was a good initiative for people to use public transport but situations like these, would definitely put people off too. I am hoping it gets better every week. Maybe a good solution is to have more buses in peak hours to prevent long queues (instead of having buses every 10 minutes make it every 5 instead, though it is questionable that they will arrive on time) and have a faster boarding system.
In relation to this topic, There was a post on the NZ Herald about someone's experience on using the Northern Express. He stated:
I find myself arriving ever earlier to the Constellation park and ride (just to fight it out over the last parking spot), only to then be greeted by a line of equally frustrated 'passengers' standing in a queue longer than those experienced outside Studio 54 at the height of its infamy. Once on the bus, if in fact you get on the first or second one that comes along, you are squeezed, face to armpit, on to the most uncomfortable journey imaginable. But at least I get on ... spare a thought for those poor souls at Sunnynook, Smales or Takapuna, who watch overcrowded bus after overcrowded bus trundle by groaning under the weight of all those commuters. In a World Cup year, you have to ask yourself ... how will Auckland cope? Right now, it's not."He has a valid point. What will happen to Auckland's transportation system during the Rugby World Cup? Will it get worse than what is is now? How can this issue be solved? Will the transportation system get better for us who live in the North Shore? Or will we keep on wasting our time in long queues just to get home?
Extreme but effective policy: live near where you work= solves all.
ReplyDeleteThere are always other options and moving is one of them, people just fail to see it. Of course there are barriers, maybe it is more expensive closer to work or not where you 'want' to live. Ok but if you want to complain about the bus service and live far way then...
I have always lived clsoe to uni/work and it does mean that I have moved far away from where was orginally based before hand, but I have $0 transport and parking costs as I can walk, cycle or scooter (for less than $7 a week) to all of the places I need to go. Not only that I will never have to rely on someone else (i.e. a bus) to get me somewhere on time. I just can trust them, I don't want to be late.
In regards to the northern express I hear it's a busy service- which is great as it means that it can run at maximum efficiency (full buses) everytime, why would you want to change that? Surely it could be a great cost to the bus service to run more buses for these people who would only save 10-15 of waiting time. Once the waiting time increases further (some crazy cost/benefit equation) maybe then can they reduce waiting time for you. Did I mention that if you lived closer to work that you would never have to wait for anything?
But sometimes moving is not the best option.
ReplyDeleteI get your point that moving close to where you work or Uni saves you time and transportation costs but when you weigh down how much you're going to be spending on rent/food/bills etc that option won't be for everyone.
I only spend $23 a week for my bus pass and that's it mostly since I live at home. It's more convenient and it's not because I'm lazy or completely dependent on my parents but because it saves me money.
Like I said on my post, I find the Northern Express bus efficient. It just shocked me to see how long the queue gets on Fridays but on most days it's not like that anyway. Usually the buses are on time but on Fridays they're late.
There's also the question if one actually wants to live in the city. I don't particularly want to and prefer a much peaceful/cleaner environment. The only time I go to the city is when I have to go to Uni. The CBD is not an ideal place to live for me.
Waiting is one thing we risk in using public transportation. It's not a big of a deal for me but I was just used to their good service on most days that I was displeased by what is going on every Friday afternoon.
Love this entry Angela! I completely agree with you, the Northern Express I believe is probably the best public transportation offered in Auckland City at the moment, but it is overcrowding! which is yes it means that it is effective and working but also means it needs to be improved to maintain its quality.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone wants or can afford to live in the CBD. Auckland needs to realize that its traffic is not normal to many other country's leading city in the world.
Effective public transportation = key and focus.
Why hasn't Auckland installed faster light rail system? An hour and a half during a normal day going to Papakura from Britomart? Not ideal. While it takes only 20 mins by car? Only further encourages the use of private vehicles.
Lets just see in less than 10 years, with the rapid rate of population growth and slow public transportation development, it will take double the time now for your journeys anywhere in Auckland.
Thank you Yasmin! Yeah it is convenient and efficient but like I said on my post, it is overloaded. There are way too many people using it now. Which I guess is a good thing since more people are using public transport but you're right. It has to be improved to maintain not just the quality but the users as well. If the service keeps on degrading then less and less people will use the service and go back to driving their cars.
ReplyDeleteI hope the transportation system in Auckland gets better but from recent news (which I'll probably blog about) it is unlikely to happen due to lack of funding from central government. Sadly, I don't think there will be a light rail system, new harbour bridge or rail network to the North shore in the next 10 years...