Submissions

To: Waikato Regional Council
Date: July 2025

Purpose

This submission is to provide feedback to the Waikato Regional Council on future bus services, addressing critical issues such as service coverage reductions, bus driver responsiveness, safety concerns at the Hamilton Transport Centre, and overall public transport accessibility for disabled people.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA acknowledges the aim for higher frequency services (Comet, Orbiter, Meteor) but raise significant concerns about the resulting reduction in service coverage in Hamilton and other urban areas. DPA highlights this as a major barrier for people with mobility impairments, health conditions, and age-related disability who expend more energy walking long distances. As an alternative, DPA recommends the availability of on-demand services for areas no longer served by regular bus routes. A significant concern raised by Hamilton DPA members is bus driver responsiveness, including instances of drivers refusing to pick up wheelchair users or people with disability assist dogs, which is discriminatory.

DPA strongly recommends ongoing disability responsiveness training for all drivers, to be provided by disabled people themselves. Members also expressed concerns about safety issues at the Hamilton Transport Centre, noting that disabled people are more likely to be victims of crime or feel insecure.

DPA suggests establishing a central city safety working group in Hamilton, similar to one formed in Dunedin after a tragic incident, with diverse community representation including from the disability community. DPA recommends investigating overseas public transport systems for accessibility improvements and seeks assurances that existing accessibility fare concessions will be carried over into the new bus system. Finally, DPA notes the delayed rollout of the Motu Move electronic ticketing system, which has been tested for accessibility.

Key Recommendation/Finding:

DPA strongly recommends that disability responsiveness training is provided on an ongoing basis for all drivers, including both new and existing drivers, with all training being provided by disabled people themselves.

Supporting Statement 1:

For disabled people, this presents a significant barrier as, for example, people living with mobility impairments, health conditions and age-related disability expend greater energy and effort when walking/mobilising long distances.

Supporting Statement 2:

Hamilton DPA members have highlighted that either they or someone they knew from the disability community have experienced issues including, for example, bus drivers refusing to pick up wheelchair users or to pick up people using disability assist dogs including guide dogs which is discriminatory and harmful for disabled people in these situations