Three newly recruited bus drivers have resigned amid increasing abuse from passengers as Dunedin buses continue to show "teething problems" in the return to a full timetable.
Driver shortages remain an issue for buses nationwide, and the Otago Regional Council issued a plea urging bus users not to take their frustration at delayed or cancelled services out on the bus drivers during the city’s return to a full service.
About 3% of services were cancelled in the first three days of the council’s reintroduction of the full bus timetable last Wednesday, the council said.
Interim transport manager Doug Rodgers said abuse from passengers was a "new and disappointing" problem that had caused the three newly recruited drivers to resign.
Drivers had the right to deny people transport, and he asked people to be patient, as "teething problems" were expected to continue for some time.
Dunedin Tramways Union president Alan Savell said he was unaware of any drivers resigning due to abuse.
Bus drivers were working hard, doing extra days and shifts of up to 12 hours, in order to meet the demands of the full timetable amid an ongoing driver shortage.
Dealing with people in a bad mood was part of the job, and cancelled and late services made this more likely, he said.
While he felt for people who were late to work or unable to get home, there was not a lot bus drivers could do about it, Mr Savell said.
"The driver doesn’t know why the bus before them didn’t turn up.
"Please don’t take it out on the driver."
The council cut services in Dunedin and Queenstown last July to increase reliability following bus cancellations attributed to a national driver shortage exacerbated by winter illness and Covid-19.
In Dunedin the number of services were reduced by about a third.
Mr Rodgers said about 97% of scheduled buses in Dunedin had run in the first three days of the reinstated timetable.
"This is significantly higher than the period prior to the reduction ... where daily cancellations reached between 10% and 12%," Mr Rodgers said.
Bus operators in Dunedin and Queenstown remained short of about 25 drivers, although 16 were set to begin work soon.
"We have four drivers coming to Dunedin in coming weeks and an extra 12 for Queenstown, arriving in March with further drivers in the pipeline."
There was also a period for drivers to get through immigration processes and be trained.
In Queenstown, where services were reduced by about a quarter, a return to a full timetable was set for June 1.
"If our contractors could employ 25 drivers to start tomorrow in Dunedin and Queenstown, Orbus bus services could be returned to normal in a matter of days," he said.
Since Dunedin’s switch back, there had been an 11% increase in people taking the bus.
Operators were doing a great job in a challenging environment, he said.
