By email 
Shed 39, 2 Fryatt Quay 
Pipitea, Wellington 6011 
PO Box 11646 
5 March 2019 
Manners Street 
Wellington 6142 
T  04 384 5708 
File Ref:  OIAP-7-9665 
F  04 385 6960 
www.gw.govt.nz 
Hugh Davenport 
[FYI request #9521 email] 
Dear Mr Davenport 
Information request 2019-029 
I refer to your request for information dated 5 February 2019, which was received by Greater 
Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) on 5 February 2019. You have requested the following 
information: 
“I would like to request any discussions that GWRC have had with WCC in regards to traffic light 
timing, and whether they are planned to be fixed to ensure that a bus travelling at 30km/h full of 
standing passengers can stop safely after an orange light appears, or that the red light does not 
show until the bus travelling 30km/h has safely made it completely through the intersection. 
 
I would like to enquire whether GWRC are actively trying to promote a safety first culture, whether 
there are penalties for not meeting timetable demands that could lead to an undue stress increase 
that could lead to drivers driving recklessly. If GWRC are not actively trying to promote a safety 
first culture, I would like to enquire when they will start. If there are penalties for not meeting 
timetable demands, I would like to enquire what the penalties are, and how often they occur.” 
GWRC’s decision follows: 
GWRC’s approach and responsibilities for health and safety are stringently applied in accordance 
with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (the Act). While GWRC contracts public transport 
operators to provide public transport services, under the Act, we have obligations as a Person 
Conducting a Business or Undertaking to coordinate, cooperate and collaborate (the three ‘c’s) on 
health and safety with our public transport operators. We do this when we plan (e.g. network and 
timetables) and also in our on-going partnership role with operators on network operations. For 
example, as part of the three ‘c’s GWRC worked closely with our operators on timetable 
development in order to make sure that timetables are achievable for drivers, as well as good 
guidelines for customers regarding when buses will arrive and depart. More generally, and in terms 
of promoting a health and safety culture, GWRC plays a part in this with our operators by discussing 
health and safety matters routinely at operator meetings.  
 

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Last year, GWRC waived performance deductions until 30 September 2018 to allow bus operators 
to focus on training drivers on new routes and on-board systems. All bus companies providing 
services to GWRC have been subject to performance management abatements and bonuses since 
1 October 2018. The size of the penalties and their occurrences has been withheld under section 7 
(2)(b)(ii) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (the Act), on the 
basis that releasing this information would be likely to unreasonably prejudice the commercial 
position of the person who is the subject of the information (i.e. bus operators). 
We have considered whether the public interest in the requested information outweighs GWRC’s 
need to withhold the size of the penalties and occurrences. As a result, we do not consider that the 
public interest outweighs GWRC’s reason for withholding the information under the grounds 
identified above. 
GWRC continues to work with operators on performance management, including discussions about 
what drivers are experiencing as they deliver services on the network. On the GWRC website, 
http://www.gw.govt.nz/bus-contracts/,  Schedule 5, page 47 of 57 is a description of the Reliability 
and Punctuality KPIs and how they are calculated. 
In terms of traffic light timing, there have not been any further discussions with Wellington City 
Council beyond the meeting held with officers at Wellington City Council on 12 November 2018, in 
which verbal explanations were provided on traffic light adherence and how traffic light timings 
operate. The meeting notes for this meeting have already been provided to you via a previous 
information request (2018-395). 
If you have any concerns with the decision(s) referred to in this letter, you have the right to request 
an investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 27(3) of the Local Government 
Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. 
Yours sincerely 
 
Greg Pollock 
General Manager, Public Transport 
 
 
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