Part 4: Disruptions need to be better managed and communicated

4.1
Disruptions – when services do not run, or do not run to schedule – are an inevitable part of any public transport system. Some disruptions are planned and known about in advance. Others can occur with little to no notice.

4.2
Frequent disruptions can undermine public confidence in the public transport system and people's willingness to use it. We expected Auckland Transport to provide people with clear and accurate information about its services and inform them of planned changes and unexpected disruptions in a consistent and timely way.

4.3
We also expected Auckland Transport to identify and mitigate the risks of disruptions to public transport services and to minimise the effects of those disruptions where possible.

4.4
Auckland Transport manages between 67 and 144 disruptions every day. In our view, it is generally effective at managing planned disruptions, but unplanned disruptions are more challenging.

4.5
Although Auckland Transport has invested in user-facing portals to better inform people about disruptions, its "back-office" processes for managing and communicating disruptions are complex and involve many different people, tasks, and systems. In our view, Auckland Transport needs to improve these processes if it is to meet the public's expectations that it communicates information about disruptions in a consistent and timely way.

4.6
Auckland Transport is aware from surveys and other research it has commissioned that it needs to improve how it manages and informs the public about disruptions. Auckland Transport is in the early stages of a work programme to make improvements.

Technology has improved access to information

4.7
In recent years, Auckland Transport has invested in a range of technologies to improve how people access information about public transport services, including information about services' timeliness.

4.8
The AT Mobile app is Auckland Transport's main channel for communicating information about services and service disruptions. About 300,000 people access AT Mobile each month.

4.9
AT Mobile includes a range of features, such as:

• a journey planner to help people plan their journey by private vehicle, public transport, walking, and cycling;
• customisable service alerts to notify people when their routes are disrupted; and
• a "live departures" function that allows people to track the location of buses.

4.10
In 2020, Auckland Transport added a train line status to AT Mobile to show live train departures. A similar function to show live tracking of ferries was added in 2024.

4.11
Public information displays include digital signs at stops and stations that provide up-to-date service information. Auckland Transport told us that it has installed 970 of these displays throughout the network (this accounts for about 15% of its stops).

4.12
Auckland Transport targeted its roll-out to high-patronage stops, which account for about 67% of passenger traffic. It told us that it intends to increase the number of displays.

4.13
Auckland Transport also keeps the public informed about its services and any disruptions to its services through its social media channels and updates on the Auckland Transport website.

4.14
However, although Auckland Transport has invested in technology to make it easier for people to access information about the status and timeliness of services, the information available through such portals might not always be accurate. We discuss this in more detail in paragraphs 4.49-4.55.

Processes for managing planned disruptions work well

4.15
Auckland Transport defines a planned disruption as a disruption to scheduled services that it knows about at least five days beforehand. Examples include temporary road closures because of roadworks or events, reduced train services because of speed restrictions, or ferry cancellations to allow for cruise ship arrivals and departures.

4.16
Auckland Transport's Day of Operations team is responsible for working with the Auckland Transport Information team to keep people informed of any disruptions to services. Another smaller team works alongside them to prepare for planned disruptions, and a separate team manages public transport arrangements for special events such as concerts, sport games, protests, and festivals.

4.17
Auckland Transport's processes for handling planned disruptions are generally effective.

4.18
We saw detailed guidance for staff on how to work with others to manage and communicate about planned disruptions, and a range of examples of these processes working in practice.

4.19
For example, Auckland Transport has been involved in a programme of rail upgrades since 2023 to prepare the rail network for the opening of the City Rail Link. Auckland Transport's planning for the rail upgrades shows how it communicates information about planned disruptions to stakeholders and the public through a range of formats and channels. Planning we saw included reviewing public transport usage data to better understand people's journeys and plan alternative services.

Managing unplanned disruptions is more challenging

4.20
Unplanned disruptions occur with little or no notice. They include bus delays or diversions because of traffic accidents, service delays or cancellations because of severe weather, and cancellations because of breakdowns or mechanical issues. In some instances, a planned disruption might become unplanned, such as when scheduled roadworks are delayed.

4.21
Auckland Transport told us that unplanned disruptions can be challenging to manage. This is because they need a faster response and tend to have greater impact in real time.

Complex processes affect the timeliness of communications

4.22
Many people and processes are involved in managing and informing people about unplanned disruptions.

4.23
In 2023, Auckland Transport commissioned a "disruption communication system map". The consultants who developed the map described the communications system as the most complex they had ever mapped, based on the large numbers of people and actions involved. For example, informing the public about an unplanned rail disruption could involve up to 20 different people at Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, and Auckland One Rail.

4.24
Auckland Transport told us that the opening of the Auckland Rail Operations Centre in Ellerslie in March 2024 has assisted with these processes. The establishment of this centre is the result of collaboration between Auckland Transport (including Day of Operations and Auckland Transport Information team staff), KiwiRail, and Auckland One Rail. It provides a central location where all three agencies can work together to control and monitor the rail network.

4.25
Auckland Transport is aware that its processes for managing and communicating about unplanned disruptions are complicated and time-consuming. We were told that only 3% of the actions involved are automated. Most need manual handling or processing by staff in multiple teams.

4.26
We discuss the work Auckland Transport has under way to improve this in paragraphs 4.70-4.78.

Systems for managing disruptions rely on dated technology and manual processes

4.27
As with planned disruptions, the Day of Operations team works closely with the Auckland Transport Information team to manage unplanned disruptions.

4.28
Auckland Transport supports more than 12,000 bus services, 500 rail services, and 300 ferry services each day. Staff told us that, given the number of daily public transport services the Day of Operations team manages, they must rely on others, including operators and members of the public, to alert them to what is happening on the network.

4.29
A system called "Command Centre" gives Day of Operations staff and public transport operators access to real-time data on the location and status of bus, train, and ferry services.

4.30
Command Centre has a range of analytical functions, including the ability to receive alerts about the status of individual services. This includes information about whether services have not started or have been cancelled, whether they are running on time, and the number of passengers on board.

4.31
Despite the functions the Command Centre has, operators still need to notify Auckland Transport about the nature of the disruption and staff must enter that information into the system. This means that the processes for identifying and managing disruptions – particularly how they are communicated – remain largely manual.

4.32
The Day of Operations team's main channel for receiving information about disruptions is a service disruptions email address that Auckland Transport teams and operators use.

4.33
As well as emails, the Day of Operations team also receives information about disruptions through messages from operators, monitoring CCTV footage, and complaints made to Auckland Transport's call centre.

4.34
Command Centre cannot automatically generate text alerts or notifications. Instead, after the Day of Operations team receives information about a disruption, it must pass that information on to Auckland Transport Information staff. Those staff manually update information about the disruption in Command Centre, using pre-approved templates to generate alerts and notifications to the public.⁸

4.35
Similarly, Auckland Transport lacks an automated process for generating and communicating detours to bus services when disruptions occur. Instead, Day of Operations staff must decide on an alternative route for bus operators to use and manually update it into Command Centre through a separate mobile app called Remix. This ensures that the alternative route appears on Auckland Transport's digital channels, such as AT Mobile and journey planner.

Auckland Transport has limited ability to communicate about disruptions out of hours

4.36
One consequence of the reliance on manual processes is that it provides limited or no information about unplanned disruptions that occur outside of Auckland Transport's business hours. The Day of Operations team works from 5am to 9pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 5.30pm on weekends and public holidays.

4.37
In 2023, at a workshop organised by Auckland Transport on communicating about disruptions, participants (who included operator staff and Auckland Transport staff) highlighted that not communicating about disruptions that occur to public transport outside of business hours was unlikely to meet the public's expectations.

4.38
Auckland Transport has recently extended the team's hours by one hour because many disruptions occur overnight or early in the morning. The Auckland Transport Information team operates similar hours but starts an hour later on weekdays, at 6am.

4.39
Auckland Transport told us that, in their view, this time period covers most services and few customers would be affected outside of these hours.

4.40
Auckland Transport has after-hours communications arrangements with its rail operator, Auckland One Rail, and Fullers, its main ferry operator. However, Auckland Transport has no documented out-of-hours communications arrangements for its other ferry operators or for its seven bus operators.

Auckland Transport manages many disruptions each day

4.41
Auckland Transport's Day of Operations team has 11 full-time equivalent staff, working in shifts seven days a week. In 2022, the team had only seven full-time equivalent staff to cover the same shifts.

4.42
Auckland Transport made this change because of increasing workload. There were frequent public transport disruptions, changes to the operating model for ferries and rail, the return of cruise ships, and a need to provide back-ups for staff during breaks or on annual or sick leave.

4.43
Day of Operations and Auckland Information staff manage between 67 and 144 public transport disruptions each day. Most of these disruptions are planned. However, Auckland Transport told us that this number can fluctuate daily or seasonally. Although the number of disruptions that Auckland Transport manages represents a small percentage of about 13,500 public transport services made each day, they can have a significant impact on people, particularly when they are unplanned.

4.44
The number of disruptions each day and the reliance on manual systems mean that Auckland Transport does not identify and communicate all unplanned disruptions in a timely way.

4.45
Documents provided to us indicate that, on average, it takes Auckland Transport 22 minutes to issue its first public communications about an unplanned disruption after an incident occurs. Auckland Transport wants to improve this time.

4.46
Our review of the Day of Operations team's incident reporting from 2021 to 2024 shows that Auckland Transport's processes and systems for communicating unplanned disruptions can quickly be overwhelmed when a major disruption affects multiple services.

4.47
For example, in August 2023, when a gas leak in downtown Auckland disrupted multiple bus services, incident reporting noted significant customer impact and delayed communications because of the time it took staff to manually enter detours and redirections for each affected bus.

4.48
Auckland Transport does not communicate about some major disruptions at all. We saw many examples in Auckland Transport's incident reporting of significant disruptions where no public communications were issued. Where reasons were provided for this, they included that the disruption occurred outside of shift hours or that Auckland Transport was not notified of the disruption in a timely way.

Auckland Transport relies on the timeliness and accuracy of information it receives from others

4.49
Along with its manual systems, Auckland Transport relies on others, such as operators or other parties in the transport system, to provide information about disruptions. Its ability to communicate effectively depends on the accuracy and timeliness of the information it receives.

4.50
Auckland Transport expects its operators to immediately advise it of any disruptions to services. However, we saw examples in the Day of Operations team's incident reporting of operators failing to notify Auckland Transport of major disruptions in a timely way. We also saw examples where Auckland Transport could not contact operators.

4.51
For example, in June 2023, a bus operator took three hours to notify the Day of Operations team that it had cancelled all services on a particular route for the remainder of the day because of weather conditions.

4.52
Unnotified roadworks can cause significant disruptions to public transport services. Auckland Transport has processes for managing the effects of roadworks on public transport. For example, contractors are required to notify and gain pre-approval of planned works at least five days before starting work. Auckland Transport staff can require contractors to make changes to minimise the works' impact on public transport.

4.53
However, Auckland Transport acknowledges that it often lacks reliable or timely information about roadworks affecting bus services. As a result, it communicates only a small percentage of these disruptions.

4.54
We heard that contractors do not always submit applications for proposed works within the required time frames. Auckland Transport is often unaware whether the planned works it approves are done within the approved time frame, and it has limited ability to penalise contractors who repeatedly breach conditions.

4.55
We discuss some of the measures that Auckland Transport is taking to better identify and enforce compliance issues by road contractors in paragraph 4.75.

Prioritisation is inconsistent

4.56
Auckland Transport uses a matrix to assess the severity and impact of incidents affecting public transport. However, we reviewed incident reporting from 2021 to 2024 and saw that staff did not interpret this matrix consistently. Subsequent actions were also not consistently based on the incident's assessed severity.

4.57
For example, some car accidents were coded as "high severity" even though they did not affect public transport. Auckland Transport rated the cancellation of more than 700 bus services in July 2023 because of driver shortages as "medium severity" despite the large number of people affected.⁹

4.58
Other examples include the suspension of train services until further notice in mid-2024 due to infrastructure issues and industrial action being coded as "low severity", and ferry cancellations and delays due to disruptions from cruise ships also being mostly coded as "low severity".

4.59
We expected the severity of an incident (based on its likely impacts on people) to determine how and when Auckland Transport communicates disruptions to the public. However, the data we looked at did not show a clear relationship between the likely impacts of an incident, its assigned severity rating, and how it was communicated.

4.60
Auckland Transport acknowledges that its severity matrix is not fit for purpose. Staff told us that this is because it was developed for the roading system, not for public transport.

4.61
Auckland Transport told us that it intends to develop a new severity matrix for public transport.

There are no protocols for managing disruptions to school bus services

4.62
Auckland Transport is responsible for managing the contracts for most school bus services in Auckland. It is reasonable for parents and caregivers whose children use school bus services to expect Auckland Transport to have a clear protocol for responding when those services are disrupted.

4.63
Auckland Transport's incident reporting from 2021 to 2024 includes multiple instances of children being stranded because school bus services did not arrive at the expected start time or did not depart the first stop. Caregivers and parents were unable to confirm their child's whereabouts because bus operators did not communicate about the disruptions in a timely manner.

4.64
Auckland Transport told us that it attempts to avoid disruptions to school bus services wherever possible, including by prioritising them over other services. However, it has no documented protocol on how to respond when disruptions affect school bus services. We were told that operators will contact the school, but this appears to be based on previous undocumented practice rather than an agreed procedure.

Processes for debriefing after major disruptions and incidents need formalising

4.65
A weekly joint performance committee meeting between Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail reviews data about some past disruptions.

4.66
Although we saw evidence of reviews into some past disruptions, Auckland Transport does not have clear criteria – such as the type or severity rating of an incident or disruption – to determine if a review will be carried out.

4.67
As we explained in our 2023 report Auckland Council: Preparedness for responding to an emergency, robustly reviewing responses to major incidents is essential to learn from past responses and inform ongoing improvements.

Recommendation 2
We recommend that Auckland Transport develop criteria to determine when it will review its responses to disruptions, and define how it will use what it learns from those reviews to inform ongoing improvements.

Work is under way to improve how disruptions are managed

4.68
Auckland Transport is aware that it needs to improve its processes for managing and informing the public about disruptions.

4.69
Improving the management and communication of planned and unplanned disruptions is a strategic priority for Auckland Transport under the Public Transport Plan. Managing disruptions is also a key part of the "Improving network productivity" priority in Auckland Transport's statement of intent.

4.70
In early 2024, Auckland Transport launched a work programme that brings together a range of existing initiatives to improve how the organisation manages and communicates disruptions.

4.71
The work programme includes a project to identify all existing initiatives that contribute to reducing disruptions. We were told that the programme will also include work to describe the system's ideal "future state" and the technology that Auckland Transport will need to support this shift.

4.72
Auckland Transport commissioned research to better understand how people experience disruptions and what they think is most important in communicating disruptions. It has already made changes based on this work.

4.73
Auckland Transport's research indicated that people want to be informed as soon as a disruption occurs and that they rate timeliness over, for example, receiving full information about an incident.

4.74
In response, Auckland Transport introduced "holding messages" that provide early notice to people when services are disrupted. We view this as a positive sign that Auckland Transport is listening. However, Auckland Transport recognises they need to do more than this to improve its performance in managing and communicating disruptions.

4.75
In October 2023, Auckland Transport began a two-year work programme to reduce the frequency of unplanned disruptions caused by roadworks. This includes revising the process for approving and managing roadworks. Auckland Transport told us it plans to use CCTV to monitor high-priority work sites for compliance.

4.76
Auckland Transport has set up a governance group of senior managers for the disruptions programme. This group receives regular progress updates. However, this work is still in its early stages. At the time of our audit, Auckland Transport was still to carry out more detailed planning to establish the programme's time frames, milestones, and resources.

4.77
Many of the initiatives that form part of the disruptions programme are not new. A range of activities have been under way for some time. We support Auckland Transport formalising the activities into a programme because this should assist with the governance and management of the work, identify and remove duplication, better manage dependencies, and maximise benefits.

4.78
In our view, it is important that Auckland Transport set clear objectives for the work programme and can demonstrate how initiatives contribute to them. This will help to focus resources and efforts in the areas that make the most difference.

Recommendation 3
We recommend that Auckland Transport improve processes for managing unplanned disruptions to services, including for school bus services, and consider ways to better inform the public about unplanned disruptions.

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8: Several manual steps are needed to update AT Mobile, public information displays and live departures, and the website journey planner tool. Notices and alerts through Auckland Transport's social media channels are published through a separate application.

9: Auckland Transport told us that the cancellations were part of a planned reduction due to bus driver shortages and customers were notified.