National restriction on the use of bike racks on buses
A complete restriction on the use of front-mounted bike racks on all public transport buses across the country is being implemented from 8.45pm on Friday, 8 November, until further notice.
The restriction affects Metro buses in Canterbury.
After further evaluation and consideration of the safety notice issued by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) in October, bus operators across Aotearoa/New Zealand have unanimously agreed to implement a complete ban until the compliance and safety concerns raised by bike racks can be addressed.
This decision follows the initial night-time restriction put in place on 2 November.
“Bike racks will be disabled, so they cannot be used on our Metro buses,” Environment Canterbury Public Transport operations manager Derek Walsh said.
“We are very disappointed with the situation and understand the significant impacts this will have on our community. However, we also understand why our operators need to comply with legislation,” he added.
Lyttelton customers, who need to travel through the tunnel with their bikes, can do so via the small passenger vehicle we are putting on temporarily. More details and the timetable can be found on the Metro website.
Staff are working with NZTA and operators to determine the best way to undertake assessments of bike racks.
“The timeframe for setting the criteria and testing is unknown at present,” Derek said.
“We thank our customers for their continued understanding as we navigate this additional restriction. Our staff and drivers will be doing their best to let affected customers know,” he added.
Customers can check the Metro website for updates, as well as their Facebook page.
Read the industry alert issued by NZTA about bike-racks (PDF file, 610KB).