Cyclists will be able to bring their bikes on some buses travelling across Auckland’s Harbour Bridge as a trial of interior bike racks expands.
Fifteen double-decker buses on the NX1 bus route – around a third of the fleet – will be fitted with a bike rack inside the bus.
The trial will run for a year from July.
It follows a pilot in November last year where two types of internal bike racks were testing on double-decker NX1 buses.
Auckland Transport (AT) said allowing bikes on buses provided a “consistent service” for passengers using rapid transit services, as bikes can already be taken on trains.
“By making it easier for Aucklanders to combine a bike ride and a public transport trip, it provides options for more people to use public transport,” said head of public transport services planning and development Pete Moth.
“Importantly, allowing bikes on the NX1 service gives cyclists a way to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge, providing a more connected and accessible network.”
The AT mobile app would display whether an approaching bus had a bike rack onboard, with passengers also able to identify if a bus has a bike rack by the circular green cyclist icon on the front, and the side of the bus.
To make way for the bike racks on the buses, a few forward-facing seats have been removed and replaced with a bike rack and three flip-down seats.
Additional handrails, safety hangers, and a seatbelt-type restraint for bikes will be installed. The wheelchair accessible space on the bus will remain the same.
The trial is expected to run for 12 months.