Tenders are being called by Auckland Transport to operate its new network bus services in South Auckland (including Pukekohe and Waiuku).
These will be the first tenders called under the new public transport operating model (PTOM) system.
PTOM is a service contracting framework under the land transport management act (LTMA) 2003, ratified by NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). It subsidises passenger routes and incentivises service providers to maximise effective delivery of public transport in a partnering arrangement with Auckland Transport (AT).
NZTA welcomes PTOM, and it approved AT’s request for tender process and documentation that will be used to attract tenderers and select the operators.
Under PTOM, about half the region’s bus services will be contracted by competitive tender and the balance will be directly negotiated with the current bus operators.
These arrangements differ significantly from the current part contracted and part-deregulated system in which bus companies receive fare revenues and subsidies.
The key principle is to run some high-frequency services that are designed to work together through easy connections, using what is called a hub and spoke connected network, says Auckland Transport.
The tenders for Auckland’s south bus services will open on 17 August and close on 28 September. The successful tenderers will be announced early in 2016 and should be operating the new network services by October 2016.
With the southern tender process underway, invitations will be called progressively for bus operators to tender in other sectors; West Auckland will be next later this year.
The new network will create a region-wide network of bus, train and ferry services.
“By having more frequent services operating every 15 minutes, 7 am to 7 pm, seven days a week, you can just turn up and go. They will meet connecting services at transport interchanges – the spokes, the interchanges being the hubs.”
says AT Metro general manager Mark Lambert.
“The services, where appropriate, will feed train services rather than duplicating them,” says Lambert.
