252/253 Lynfield/Blockhouse Bay express buses - update!

Julie from Mount Roskill

TL;DR:

252/253 will continue along diverted route until at least end of April. AT should be doing some comms about it very very soon, including putting info on the app. I have suggested to them they do posters at bus stops too.


The super long story:
NZBus has started using double deckers on the 252/253 routes. They are not required to by AT, but have decided to do this because of NZBus' scheduling which means that a bus and driver that do the 252/253 needs to do a double decker route before or after the 252/253 and there isn't time to change buses. That's an NZBus decision, as the operator of the bus route.

This means that AT needs to "clear the route" for the 252/253 for double deckers. Double deckers require more clearance and often verandas and bridges are in the way. In this case there are seven obstacles on the 252/253 route, mostly on Ian McKinnon Drive, that need to be addressed before double deckers can use the normal route. This will take several months to sort.

The obstacles are not always easy to spot for the lay person - for example verandas that stick out over the pavement. Because of the camber (curve) of the road surface and the height of double deckers they end up leaning out of the road space and would hit these verandas. This has had to be addressed in a lot of places where double deckers are cleared to run eg most of Dominion and Mt Eden Rds.

Until the 252/253 route has been cleared it will have to divert. Mostly this will be along View Rd and mirror parts of the 25L/25B, but will turn along Karangahape Rd and down Upper Queen St instead of continuing down Symonds St and Wellesley St to the St James.

Comms from AT that should be rolling out v soon, if they haven't already:
- Bus displays to change to not say "via Ian McKinnon Dr" and instead mention the View Rd diversion - it's up to NZBus to do this
- the call centre now has an FAQ with info for those who ring in
- on the AT mobile app, if you have saved this as a journey then you will see a disruption notice
- on the AT mobile app a route diversion note has been added for 252/253
- on the Passenger Info boards (electronic signs) there will be a message too about the View Rd diversion.

I've pointed out that most of the bus stops most impacted by the 252 don't have the electronic signs so they should do posters. We shall see what the response is to that!

Hope that's useful!