Skipping To Auckland , and saving $150 million !
In the morning , I'm on the 6.30am Skip bus to Auckland . A lot of people are still on holiday , so it will be interesting to see how many people are on it . It gets to Sky City Auckland by 8.30 . Cost $11 incl booking fee and credit card fee .
At 5.30pm , I'm coming back , also on Skip -- get back 7.30pm . Another $11 .
I don't actually have much to do in Auckland , but I have a cunning plan . So I want to see what the bus service is like , and arguably I should have waited a couple of weeks , until most commuters are back at work .
See -- I have a plan . It appears a crowd funded commuter bus service could be operational , with all the NZTA legal requirements , within 3 months .
On-line ticketing would take a bit of effort from the boffins . Registration with NZTA seems logical if you follow their guidelines , don't cut corners . It appears you don't even need to file any planned routes or anything -- you do if you are wanting to operate Urban ( subsidised ) services . You would want to ask permission to use bus stops , but if King Andrew says No , as they are public places and publicly funded , it appears they can't stop you . The Transport Centre is slightly different -- even though it is publicly funded and a public place , it does have different rules .
Even the buses themselves aren't a huge problem -- you want nice , and a bit of room . I don't think you want 55 seater coaches initially -- in my head , I reckon 2 x 25 seaters ( 15 year old ones seem to be around $50K ) and 2 long wheelbase , high roof vans , like Transits or Hi Aces -- around $25-30 k each .
Anyway , anyone interested , I'll do some updates , and I reckon that collectively a few people can put together something that will cover costs and maybe make a return , probably work in with Skip timetables to get 2 or 3 buses a day each way .
By the way , I don't work in Auckland , I don't want to be a huge spoiler , but by a few people using a few brains , we can completely show up the 'backers' ( local and Govt politicians , and NZTA ) of the $120-150 million dollar train drain .
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.3% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.7% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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