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

A complete restriction of the use of front-mounted bike racks on all public transport buses throughout Nelson Tasman is being implemented from 7.30pm 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).

This precautionary measure follows recent concerns raised by the Bus and Coach Association, that on some bus models operated in New Zealand, when loaded with bikes, bike racks may partially obstruct headlights and therefore may not be compliant with the rules of the road.

After further evaluation and consideration of the safety notice, bus operators 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 all eBus services including the Late Late Bus.

“Bike racks will be disabled, so they cannot be used on our eBuses,” Nelson City Council Group Manager Infrastructure Manager Alec Louverdis.  

“We are very disappointed with the situation and understand the significant impacts that this will have on our community.  However, we also understand why our operators need to comply with legislation,” he added.

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

“The timeframe for setting the criteria and testing is unknown at present,” Alec said.

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