National restriction on use of bike racks on buses to be implemented in Canterbury

A complete restriction of the use of front-mounted bike racks on all public transport buses throughout Canterbury is being implemented from 8.45PM on Friday, 8 November, until further notice. 

The restriction has been issued by bus operators across New Zealand following a safety notice from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). 

NZTA determined that the way some bus models are fitted with bike racks can partially obscure headlights. It sent an alert to all public transport authorities across the country, asking operators to check their buses to see which are affected and to resolve any issues accordingly. 

After further evaluation and consideration of the safety notice, bus operators across New Zealand have unanimously agreed to now implement a complete ban until these safety concerns can be addressed due to the compliance and safety risk. This affects Metro buses - its services are delivered by operators contracted by Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury). This decision follows the initial night-time restriction which was put in place on 2 November. 

Lyttelton customers, who need to travel through the tunnel with their bikes, can do so via the small passenger vehicle we are putting on temporarily. More details on this including its timetable can be found on the Bikes On Buses page.

Staff are working with NZTA and operators to determine the best way to undertake assessments of bike racks. 

As we have said previously, the timeframe for setting the criteria and testing is unknown at present. 

We thank our customers for their continued understanding as we navigate this additional restriction. Our staff and drivers will be doing their best to let affected customers know. 

Customers can check the Bikes On Buses webpage for updates, as well as Metro’s Facebook page.