FAQs

AT Local was trialled in Devonport from September 2018 until February 2021. With the trial coming to an end, and the Stanley Bay ferry service being discontinued from December 2020, AT engaged with the Devonport Peninsula community in September/October 2020 regarding the future of their public transport network. Through that engagement the community raised issues that could be better resolved by improving the local bus network instead of continuing to run AT Local. Visit the AT website for more information:
https://at.govt.nz/projects-initiatives/past-auckland-projects-and-initiatives/devonport-at-local-and-bus-service-changes

We have made several changes to better meet demand, such as using larger vans, reducing last minute cancellations, offering alternative travel times, and directing people to other nearby bus services when possible, but extra capacity was quickly taken up by new customers every time. We have looked into adding more vehicles, but this is not a practical long-term solution.

Compared to AT Local, a bus service has more room for more people and will follow the same route and timetable each time. This consistency will help customers better plan their travel knowing the bus will generally provide a more reliable service than we are able to offer with AT Local.

If you are travelling to/from Awakeri Wetlands and Kauri Flats, your closest bus stops will be on Walters Road and Grove Road. Our project website has more details about where the new bus stops for the 364 service will be located. Once the new 364 is live, check the AT Journey Planner before you travel to find the closest bus stop to you.

We have looked at whether we could run a standard bus route at the same time as a smaller on-demand zone – but overall, this still doesn’t provide enough capacity and is more difficult to operate. Replacing AT Local with a new bus service allows us to meet the current demand for public transport in the area with enough space for future growth as the population continues to grow.

To run more routes at a frequency to attract riders would require additional drivers and buses, which would be beyond our budget. The Auckland bus network is built to be frequent, well-connected, and easy to use. We often need to choose between covering more areas and running routes that are frequent and easy to use.

The buses on this route are planned to be ‘small’ buses, which means they will have around 30 seats with room for a few more standing.  These are a similar size to the buses currently operating on routes in Papakura.

We are planning ahead to ensure that the community has reliable public transport as the population grows. While the buses on the new 364 may not be full at first, they are designed to support future demand.

We also need the buses to have room at peak times and to handle extra passengers at other times of the day. For example, many of our urban routes are used by school students. The capacity of a 30-seater bus means that we can cope when a school starts late or finishes early, outside of peak hours.

To be more efficient, bus operators plan their buses across their whole network, not just by single routes. Using a lot of different sized buses would limit where those buses can go. This can lead to needing more buses overall, which increases costs for AT.

Public transport fares are based on how many zones you travel through, not how many buses, trains or ferries you take to complete your journey. For example:

• The 364 and 365 buses only run in the “Southern Manukau” fare zone, so if you only need to use these services to complete your journey you will pay a single zone fare.
• If you use the 364 or 365 to get to Takaanini Station and then transfer to the train to Britomart, you’ll pay a 4-zone fare.

Your fare will also depend on whether you have a concession (e.g. child, secondary, tertiary, SuperGold etc.) loaded onto the AT HOP card you’re using to pay your fare. Customers who use an AT HOP card qualify for our $50 7-day fare cap.

Contactless payments are also available, but these will not be eligible for concessions. Customers using a contactless payment method qualify for our $20 daily fare cap.

Visit the Bus and train fares page of the AT website for more information about AT’s public transport fares, including concessions. You can you use AT’s Journey Planner to confirm the fare for a specific journey.

AT is still planning the next steps for On-demand public transport services like AT Local. 

Our plans in the On-demand and Shared Mobility Roadmap show that Pukekohe is the next location to get an AT Local service. We have had to pause this plan as the re-opening of Pukekohe Station has created new passenger travel patterns, and there is not enough information yet to decide the long-term future for public transport in the area. 

We understand that AT Local has been well used and enjoyed by many in Takaanini and Papakura. However, our customer surveys have shown that customer satisfaction is decreasing, and only 20% to 40% of attempts to book AT Local have ended with the customer using the service.

Putting in a standard bus service will help AT to meet current demand as well as allowing for future growth as the population in this area increases.  This allows us to make the best use of ratepayers' money to benefit as many people as possible.

The new 364 bus will run every 30 minutes, 7 days a week. This consistent timetable will make it easier for people to plan their connections with the trains. The 364 includes Papakura, Takaanini, Te Mahia, and Manurewa stations on its route. You can use the Journey Planner to find the best connection to a train station.

The buses used by the new 364 would be from our existing bus fleet. These buses have the ability to kneel to meet the curb or have wheelchair ramps fitted to allow easy access for wheelchair users. Disability assist dogs are also allowed to travel on all services at all times.

We have worked with the developer in this area to ensure Arion Road is wide enough to fit buses.