Is the bus strike over?

[Krayy]

After watching Campbell Live last night with JC (well he is the saviour of Current Affairs TV, after all) going on about literacy levels and apostrophe abuse, it occurs to me that the cage driving public in general have a problem with telling the time. A 24 hour bus strike is usually over by the next day isn't it? I swear I saw some blokes hanging around the side of the NW motorway on the way in this morning that were wearing a "Wilson's Parking" vest and offering early bird rates in the "fast" lane.

Eat my dust cagers!!

[ManDownUnder]

I laughed because the lack of buses had no apparent impact on traffic levels...

It seems to highlight the fact almost no-one uses them?

That being said
1) I would strike if I was paid that pittance too
2) I do feel for the poor (and brave) souls that use the buses. The damned things are irregular at the best of times... when they don't appear you could nevber be sure if it's a really ate one, or it's never showing up.

MDU

[jrandom]

I haven't noticed any difference in the traffic. I've seen worse.

Doesn't bother me anyway.

Go the NW motorway filterers!

[ktulu]

I actually noticed quite a considerable difference due to the busses not running but I live fairly close to town and drive some relatively main routes on my way to work.

Coming from kingsland I noticed that the traffic on new north road was backed up past morningside drive which I have never seen before and also balmoral/greenlane west road was absolutely chocker, more so than normal.

Cracked me up, I saw on the news last night some lady sitting in a bus stop saying "they should have put signs up or something because I never knew they weren't running" and directly behind her there is this big fluro sign saying the buses are on strike.

[Lou Girardin]

I actually noticed quite a considerable difference due to the busses not running but I live fairly close to town and drive some relatively main routes on my way to work.

Coming from kingsland I noticed that the traffic on new north road was backed up past morningside drive which I have never seen before and also balmoral/greenlane west road was absolutely chocker, more so than normal.

Cracked me up, I saw on the news last night some lady sitting in a bus stop saying "they should have put signs up or something because I never knew they weren't running" and directly behind her there is this big fluro sign saying the buses are on strike.

Traffic on the bridge was a doddle, but it was a bit thick through Newton, Khyber Pass etc.
It does look like getting rid of bus lanes will help congestion though.
I bet the bus fanatics are desparately trying to find justifications for the lighter traffic.

[Quasievil]

Its a divine intervention, As Auckland roading issues have increased our petrol costs 5 cents, this is payback walk ya bastards !!!!!!!!!!

[crashe]

A friend of mine had to get throu the city and over the bridge to the Shore...
said there was no difference at all to get to work yesterday...

Most of those that catch the buses, stayed at home, took the day off work.
Oh the kids either got mummy or a taxi to get them to school.
Guess it must be a tad hard for them to walk to school... like we all did years ago.. or we pushbiked to school....

[idb]

Didn't notice a thing - what are y'all going on about? :spudwhat:

[Coldkiwi]

apparently dominion road was blocked up like a fat man after 5 bran muffins. Pictures on the news were quite funny of the traffic at a stand still off into the distance!

Make the cagers pay!

[Waylander]

apparently dominion road was blocked up like a fat man after 5 bran muffins. Pictures on the news were quite funny of the traffic at a stand still off into the distance!

Make the cagers pay!

And the enviroment pays aswell, just imagine all the carbon-dioxide floating around now becouse of all those cars standing still and running. Ever wonder why L.A. sunsets are so red? Cause of all the smog it filters through.

[MacD]

I laughed because the lack of buses had no apparent impact on traffic levels...

MDU

It seemed to depend from which direction you were heading into the city. Mt Eden Road and Dominion Road were blocked solid until well after 9am. These routes have a lot of bus traffic which are quite well patronised normally.

[ManDownUnder]

aaa well - such is life.

Make the bloody things free I say! Free buses, put up parking costs in town, put in place some decent infrastructure and see what happens.

I find it hard to believe that Auckland has such a lousy public transport system... it SUCKS. Buses, bikes, and taxis should be allowed to use bus lanes (all bus lanes, not just those under the jurisdiction of the LTSA or the local council, whichever is applicable at the time).

Encourage people to fill their cars. Make the bloody motorways toll roads for cages, the toll being reduced by 1/3 for each extra person in the car (yeah I know, enforcing it would be a bastard - but you get the idea).

AAAARRRGGGHHHH - sorry people... bad day, and venting that part of my spleen made me just a wee bit better.

... as you were...
MDU

[bikerboy]

Clarkson on Top Gear read a report that showed buses and super fast trains used more fuel per passenger than cars or airplanes, even when running at maximum capacity. I have only seem them full on the most popular routes at the peak traveling times, about 10% of the actual availability.

Given the enormous amount of space buses require, at least three cars, to manuever, when will the mass transit fools admit it has nothing to do with efficiency. This latest strike just shows that they really have no real impact. The temporary congestion would be sorted once the would be passengers and drivers find alternative transport and routes.

The traffic congestion has more to do with roads being designed in the fifties for forties traffic volumes, not 2005 levels. Like most infrastructure, the lack of constant upgrading, extensions, and proper funding has given us this problem.

After the increased fuel tax to fund the new roads (in 100 years time) we get a toll road to extend the motorway north! Maybe Tamahere is right.....

[ManDownUnder]

Clarkson on Top Gear read a report that showed buses and super fast trains used more fuel per passenger than cars or airplanes, even when running at maximum capacity.

Small problem there - Clarkson has an agenda and I suspect buses would do ok, even trains (electric regenration for braking etc... saves a lot of energy)

Given the enormous amount of space buses require, at least three cars, to manuever, when will the mass transit fools admit it has nothing to do with efficiency.

Yes but in Auckland most cages have only one animal in them. Assuking buses are only half full that's 21 cages off the road (lets take that back to 15 just to err on the conservative side and allow for a number of them having multiple animals).

If 15 cars were off the road for every bus put on I think it would be good for the environment, and congestion

The traffic congestion has more to do with roads being designed in the fifties for forties traffic volumes, not 2005 levels. Like most infrastructure, the lack of constant upgrading, extensions, and proper funding has given us this problem.

Agreed!

MDU

[Waylander]

Longer, wider, better highways and such don't change anything. Look at some cities in the states where they have 5 lanes for one direction. and several diferent motorways goin to the same place.That doesn't change anything, what will change it is better driver education and more coutesy on the roads. If peaple learn to merge correctly and learn to share the road then traffic, while no less than current, will atleast flow faster and wont develop that stop and start delima. Roundabouts are a good way to keep traffic flowing, though some of the laws regarding right of way and indicating are fairly stupid as has been argued in many other threads.