Bike rack on bus

Metro bike racks back in operation for daytime use

Date:

From Wednesday, 16 April, you’ll be able to use front-mounted bike racks on all Greater Christchurch buses during daylight hours — giving you more freedom to combine biking and busing during the day.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has issued a 10-month exemption to public transport authorities throughout the country, to enable racks to be used during the day. It follows the agency’s safety notice which it issued in October, that determined the way some bus models are fitted with bike racks can partially obscure headlights. 

Safety testing clears the way

Since then, public transport authorities, bus operators and NZTA have been working together to resolve the issue. Thorough testing has been undertaken which has determined bike racks can be safely used during the day. 

“We are pleased to be able to offer bike racks to our customers during the day again and we’re hopeful that it won’t be too long before we can offer the service at night too,” Environment Canterbury Public Transport operations manager Derek Walsh said. 

  • Testing has found that some buses in the fleet need better lighting to mitigate restricted visibility caused by certain bike racks.
  • Our operators are currently installing lights on the buses that require them.
  • These lights may start appearing on some of our buses as the installation progresses.
  • Once the installations are complete across the fleet – and all exemptions are received from NZTA – the night-time restriction will be removed.

Night-time restrictions still apply

The exact timings of the night-time restrictions will vary from month to month to maximise the time available to customers who take their bikes on the buses – view the bus bike-rack open times for each month. 

Route 8 full-time access: Bike racks will be available full-time on Metro’s Route 8 Port-to-Port service to allow customers to access the Lyttelton tunnel (through which cycling is banned) and the ferry. This has been enabled by our operator having a sufficient number of buses which do not require lighting improvement to operate the route.

Reminder: Check your bike specs

Customers are asked to ensure their bikes fit within the standard criteria before they try and load them onboard the racks. 

We want to use this as a reminder to customers that bikes on our racks are required to:

  • weigh 25kg or less
  • have wheels from 16 to 29 inches in diameter
  • a maximum tyre width of 3 inches.

Most non-electric commuting bikes and many mountain bikes should meet these specs, but if in doubt please check before your trip.

Customers travelling with bikes are asked to respect the night-time rule and ensure they board and disembark with their bikes during the hours specified. 

“Drivers will remind customers of the restrictions. Please remember that our drivers are just doing their jobs and trying their best to keep everyone safe,” Derek said. 

“We thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this process,” Derek said. 

Further publications

Last updated:

Back to top