Auckland Council is announcing an immediate wage increase for the city's bus drivers on Thursday to try and boost its staff numbers.
The average increase will be 8%, bringing the average wage up from $23.71 to $25.62 per hour.
It comes after continued bus service cancellations across the city amid staffing shortages and winter sickness.
Essential workers throughout this pandemic (and before), our bus drivers deserve better pay and conditions. Great to see this being recognised with Auckland Council announcing today that drivers will receive an increase of 8%, effective this Thursday.
Public transport is our greatest opportunity to improve congestion, emissions and road safety. For too long local governments have focused on the costs, trying to make it as cheap as possible while central government has placed complex rules on how its run leading to perverse outcomes. This means less focus on service quality and more pressure to keep wages down.
We need to invest more into public transport, taking into the account the significant social, economic and environmental benefits that it provides. And not just for those that use public transport - more reliable, accessible and frequent buses and trains is good for everyone.