Bike racks on Metlink buses will not be available to passengers from Saturday 9 November until further notice, following guidance from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).

In October, NZTA issued an alert reminding public transport authorities that bicycles fixed to bike racks on the front of buses should not obscure bus headlamps during the hours of darkness.

Metlink group manager Samantha Gain says the alert has caused confusion within the bus industry, calling into question the compliance of bike racks, and prompting calls for their removal.

“Metlink’s priority is the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and staff. While we await clarity from NZTA, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily disable all bike racks in the Metlink fleet,” Ms Gain says.

“To prevent conflict and confusion, passengers will not be able to use our bike racks during daylight hours as well as the hours of darkness. We apologise for the inconvenience, but we will not compromise on safety.”

To resolve the issue, Metlink is working with other public transport authorities, bus operators, the Bus and Coach Association, and NZTA, Ms Gain says.

“Previous testing indicated most bike racks in the Metlink fleet are compliant. Rather than removing them, bike racks on Metlink buses will be locked shut until the matter is resolved.

“We’re grateful for our passengers’ patience and consideration for our drivers while we work to resolve this issue as soon as possible.”

Passengers can continue to travel with bicycles on Metlink trains.

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