Latest news with #AucklandTransport
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
Auckland Tranport working on improving links between City Rail Link stations and bus stops
Photo: Supplied Auckland Transport (AT) is reassuring the public that the City Rail Link stations will be easy to get to. The underground rail network with three new stations; Te Waihorotiu, Karanga-a-Hape, and Maungawhau was expected to open in late 2026. At Auckland Council's latest Transport, Infrastructure, and Resilience Committee meeting, Mayor Wayne Brown said it was "ridiculous" bus passengers would have to walk 250 metres, particularly when it was raining, to get to Maungawhau Station. During the meeting, he said it was unclear whether vehicles like ambulances and Ubers could pull up close enough to the station. AT rail infrastructure manager Jane Small told RNZ the mayor was wrong. She said ensuring access for emergency services was a mandatory safety requirement and they had been conducting drills of different types of emergencies that could occur in the stations and tunnels. She said AT was in the early stages of investigating options with the council to allow buses to travel closer to Maungawhau Station. Under current plans, she confirmed it was roughly a 200-250m walk from the entrance of Maungawhau Station to the 25 and 27 bus routes on Mt Eden Road or the 22 and 24 routes on New North Road. She said the closest car pick-up and drop-off areas for Maungawhau Station were 50m from the station's entrance. Along with the council and the City Rail Link group, Small said AT were working on improving links between the stations and bus stops and walking and cycling access, and ensuring there were enough parking and loading spaces nearby. Depending on which bus route people used, Small said people would not have to walk more 200 metres to get from the bus to the Karanga-a-Hape or Te Waihorotiu stations. She said there would be pick-up and drop-off areas for taxi, rideshare, and private vehicles at all of the new stations. Mayoral candidate Auckland councillor Kerrin Leoni said it was concerning issues with Maungawhau were not identified by AT earlier. "This is another example of these designs being made without it coming to elected officials. "I don't know whether it went to the Auckland Transport board and there are councillors on that board or where the advice is going prior to it being presented to councillors. "You'd think that would've been picked up way before." She said with AT set to be brought "in-house" under council control, hopefully concerns could be addressed earlier in design processes. A spokesperson for Wayne Brown told RNZ that AT staff were considering options after the mayor spoke to them about improvements to Maungawhau Station including an option with direct access to the station.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
Here are all the Auckland train disruptions this school holidays
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Aucklanders who take the train will face more disruption this upcoming school holidays. Several train services have been in and out of action while the city's new underground rail network the City Rail Link expected to open in late 2026 was under construction. For 16 days from Saturday 28 June to Sunday 13 July, coinciding with the school and University break, no trains would run between Puhinui and Pukekohe stations on the Southern Line. There would also be fewer train services on all lines except for the Onehunga Line during that time. The pedestrian crossing at Takaanini Station would be closed to pedestrians. On the last weekend of the school holidays, 12-13 July, trains from New Lynn to Swanson on the Western Line would be suspended. Kiwirail said the partial rail network closure was needed for them to replace old foundations under tracks and upgrade drainage. Auckland Transport said there would be rail replacement buses for the closed parts of the Southern Line, including an express service from Franklin. Commuters were encouraged to check AT's website and mobile app for all temporary disruptions to the train network affecting them.
RNZ News
19-06-2025
- RNZ News
‘Unfortunate' gagging order against Chinese journalist lifted
Portia Mao (left) and Morgan Xiao Photo: Supplied A District Court judge has lifted a gagging order that had been imposed on a Chinese-New Zealand journalist for almost a year over claims of online bullying. In July last year, the Auckland District Court ordered freelance journalist Peng (Portia) Mao to take down articles she posted online about Auckland Transport traffic warden Zhihong (Morgan) Xiao and publish an apology. Discharging the interim order on 11 June, Manukau District Court Judge Richard McIlraith said Mao had no opportunity to defend herself in court at the time the orders were made. Portia Mao Photo: Supplied Mao is a veteran journalist who covers China-related issues in New Zealand as well as other subjects. In addition to working with Auckland Transport, Xiao is a former local body candidate and frequent commentator on social media about China-New Zealand matters, among other things. Xiao, who uses the handle "demon king" on social media, initiated court proceedings in July 2024 by filing a complaint under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 about two stories Mao had written. He claimed Mao's comments were defamatory, hurting his dignity and causing him to suffer "mental pressure". The first article involved, published in October 2019, questioned whether Xiao had lived in New Zealand for 15 years as he had claimed, further suggesting he had been "fired by his boss". Xiao claimed the material was "defamatory and untrue" in his original application to the court. He also claimed Mao had called him "worse than dog" in a separate article that was published in July last year in relation to an assault that had occurred on an East Auckland bus as well as a subsequent social media post on WeChat. Xiao's 2024 complaint was processed by the court without notifying Mao, as the former political candidate had submitted his application "without notice". Such applications are typically made under urgency, including claims of ongoing serious emotional distress. The court supported Xiao's application and ordered Mao to take down the relevant articles and all material on WeChat referring to the complainant as a "dog" and publish an apology. Mao challenged the ruling after learning of Xiao's "win" in court on social media. Morgan Xiao Photo: Supplied In September, the court clarified that its orders had been made on an interim basis and Mao could file a notice to be heard or submit an application to change or remove the orders, which she did. After reviewing evidence provided by both parties, McIlraith ruled that Xiao's application should not have been filed "without notice", noting that he "provided very little of the relevant context to his complaint". Mao's lawyer, Callum Fredric, claimed Xiao "deliberately (or otherwise) provided an incorrect email address [for Mao]", resulting in the journalist never being notified of Xiao's application. Defending her 2019 article, Mao said she produced the story about Xiao standing as a candidate in local body elections in the public interest. She attempted to contact Xiao for an interview, but her requests were rejected, Mao contended. Judge McIlraith noted that Xiao had denied Mao's claims about his length of time in New Zealand and workplace dismissal on social media but provided no evidence on this at the hearing. As a result, Mao was cleared of making a false allegation. In relation to the 2024 article and related social media post, Judge McIlraith discussed the context of the "dog" accusation. The ruling noted that Xiao published a series of articles attacking a Stuff documentary titled The Long Game , which Mao worked on as a researcher. Mao was asked in a WeChat group of around 500 members to answer some questions that had been asked by Xiao, including what Mao and others did in the documentary and how much they had been paid. It was in this reply that Mao referred to Xiao as "only worthy of being a dog", the court ruling said. Mao claimed the expression was a metaphor for Xiao's behaviour, implying that he was a "running dog", or propogandist, for the Chinese Communist Party in attacking the documentary. "However, an assessment must take into account Mr Xiao's circumstances given his highly active role in debate at the time about The Long Game ," Judge McIlraith said. "This cannot have been unexpected criticism." The judge ruled that no independent evidence of harm being caused to Xiao in respect of any of the articles about which he complained had been submitted. "As such ... Ms Mao must succeed in her application to have the orders previously made discharged," McIlraith said. In his submission to the court, Mao's lawyer claimed Xiao had weaponised the Harmful Digital Communications Act to silence a journalist, as Xiao had celebrated his victory on social media without Mao knowing an application had been filed. "What has occurred here has been unfortunate," McIlraith said. "This case has demonstrated the danger of 'without notice' applications being made under this act and the regrettable delay in a defendant having the opportunity to be heard." Mao told RNZ she was "genuinely pleased with the outcome of this case". "The judge's decision is profoundly significant," she said. "It will have a lasting impact on value choices within the Chinese community in New Zealand. "The court's decision has strengthened my belief that the winds of freedom will forever blow across New Zealand." Xiao said that his lawsuit was "originally a very simple case - a 'dog' insult was made". He had asked for an apology, but the case had been "seriously politicised". Xiao said he could either appeal the judgment in the high court or reconcile with people who held different political opinions. "After all, we all just cared about the same New Zealand and I'm a liberal," Xiao said. "But this path is not entirely up to me; it also depends on them. And, of course, I hope it's the latter."
1News
17-06-2025
- Climate
- 1News
South Auckland storm repairs almost complete
Road damage repairs from extreme weather events almost two years ago is almost complete in south Auckland. In 2023, heavy rain on Auckland's Anniversary Day weekend and Cyclone Gabrielle caused severe flooding, and more than 2000 slips were reported to Auckland Transport on local roads, across the region. In the south, 30 complex slips needed repairing: nine minor (less than $250,000 to repair) and 21 major (more than $250,000 to repair). In a statement, Auckland Transport (AT) said their flood recovery team has repaired 83% of the slips. AT road asset maintenance and renewals general manager Alan Wallace said 25 slips have been fixed, and three more will be repaired in the second half of the year. ADVERTISEMENT These are Ararimu Rd, Cemetery Rd, and East Coast Rd. 'Last month, we completed the repairs to the second slip site on Kemp Road in Āwhitu, and Urquhart Road in Karaka – both substantial slips which closed the road," he said. Wallace said work involved the installation of a soil nail retaining wall and drainage improvements. Work to repair two slips on Kemp Rd began in February; the first involved building a timber retaining wall and repairs to the road surface, he said. The second involved installing a soil nail retaining wall and drainage improvements. Construction to re-establish the connection on Urquhart Rd began in April 2025, and was completed last month. He said work included the installation of new drainage across the road and the construction of a mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) wall to mitigate the slip. ADVERTISEMENT By the end of May 2025, 56% of minor slips, and all but one major slip in the south had been repaired. Only one major slip, Manukau Heads Rd, is still currently under construction. Construction teams have continued work on the general fill of the Manukau Heads site, switching to the use of crushed concrete because of the wet ground conditions. New rock armour on the face of the MSE wall now protects the road from further erosion. AT said the head of the slip has been trimmed back and was ready to be planted. "One of the two large stormwater pipes that will protect the road from flooding in the future has been installed." Since the 2023 weather damage, AT has fixed 1200 small slips across the region, but more than 800 bigger slips have required extensive investigation to inform sustainable and resilient engineering design solutions. ADVERTISEMENT LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
1News
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- 1News
Bikes on buses over Auckland Harbour Bridge to be trialled
Cyclists will be able to bring their bikes on some buses travelling across Auckland's Harbour Bridge as a trial of interior bike racks expands. Fifteen double-decker buses on the NX1 bus route - around a third of the fleet - will be fitted with a bike rack inside the bus. The trial will run for a year from July. It follows a pilot in November last year where two types of internal bike racks were testing on double-decker NX1 buses. Auckland Transport (AT) said allowing bikes on buses provided a "consistent service" for passengers using rapid transit services, as bikes can already be taken on trains. ADVERTISEMENT "By making it easier for Aucklanders to combine a bike ride and a public transport trip, it provides options for more people to use public transport," said head of public transport services planning and development Pete Moth. "Importantly, allowing bikes on the NX1 service gives cyclists a way to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge, providing a more connected and accessible network." Buses with a bike rack on board would have a circular green cyclist icon on the front. (Source: Auckland Transport) The AT mobile app would display whether an approaching bus had a bike rack onboard, with passengers also able to identify if a bus has a bike rack by the circular green cyclist icon on the front, and the side of the bus. To make way for the bike racks on the buses, a few forward-facing seats have been removed and replaced with a bike rack and three flip-down seats. Additional handrails, safety hangers, and a seatbelt-type restraint for bikes will be installed. The wheelchair accessible space on the bus will remain the same. The trial is expected to run for 12 months.
