At the time, Cr McKenzie (now Deputy Mayor)
said Whangārei needed T2 because Auckland and Wellington have them, and it
“provided interesting and innovative public transport options.”
The Whangārei District Council (WDC) website is a little more specific. It says: “The T2 transit lane helps to keep Whangārei moving, reducing congestion and improving travel times by separating buses and vehicles with more than one occupant.”
The problem is it isn’t doing any of those
things. A February 2026 report to the Whangārei Passenger Transport Working
Group, run jointly by Whangārei District Council (WDC) and Northland Regional
Council (NRC), found no improvement in bus running times. It states:
“The T2 Lane became operational on 4 July
2025. To date, there has been no improvement to scheduled running times. Early
indications suggest that this may be linked to the five additional pedestrian
crossing lights installed along the route to ensure pedestrian safety. There
has also been a slight decrease in passengers using the buses, but this could
potentially be due to the general fare increase implemented on 1 August 2025.”
(Chris
Powell, Transport Manager – Northland Regional Council)
The cost of “policing” the lane is estimated
to be in excess of $200,000 a year, which council staff say will be financed
from fines.
Let’s be brutally honest about the T2 bus
lane. It is fanciful madness that does not provide the promised benefits promoted
by we-know-best ideological fools. Instead, it is creating traffic congestion,
making Bank Street less safe, and causing financial damage to business owners.
We say Cr McKenzie and the other councillors
who support this nonsense should front up to ratepayers and explain why T2
should not be abandoned. They should also front up to the business owners along
Bank Street, who are reported to have suffered a significant loss of business
as a result (as reported by the Northern Advocate).
There are six members on the Whangārei
Passenger Transport Working Group: NRC councillors Amy Macdonald (Chairperson),
Jack Craw, and Joe Carr; and WDC councillors Brad Flower, Nicholas Connop, and
Stephen Martin.
Given that three members are dedicated
greenies, including the chairperson, we believe there is little prospect of
common sense prevailing unless the more grounded WDC councillors step in. It is
more likely that the scheme will escalate and be extended to include Tikipunga
and Riverside Drive, which is currently under consideration.
Common sense needs to prevail, and that may
require some councillors to get off the couch and put an end to this failed
experiment.
Further information
Northern Advocate: Whangārei stores report Covid-level slump because of T2 lane parking fines