David Seymour

Once again, Auckland Transport (AT) wants to fundamentally alter the OuterLink bus service for the worse. They would remove the section of the Link which currently provides a vital connection between Mt Eden and the rest of the city, a connection which will become more important with the temporary closure of the Mt Eden train station. That would be disastrous for Epsom electorate public transport users and I oppose it as your local MP.

AT says they’ve “heard ... that the OuterLink isn’t working as well as it should”, but that’s not the feedback I’m receiving from Epsom electorate commuters.

Instead, constituents have described their reliance on the vital arterial service provided by this route. The inner-city business association, Heart of the City, describes the OuterLink as "the easiest way to get around the inner suburbs of Auckland City". This is particularly true for those with few other options, including those with disabilities and elderly passengers, for whom switching buses is more difficult.

Replacing this seamless, regular, and reliable service with multiple routes will be an own-goal against AT's stated goal of increasing public transport usage. It will become more cumbersome to travel some of the most-used public transport routes in the city. Having to transfer buses, particularly in the depths of winter, is not a welcome prospect for most commuters, let alone the elderly. Instead, people will get back in their cars.

Abolishing the OuterLink would be a bad call. Not just for the many vulnerable people who rely on the service, but also for AT's own objective to increase bus usage.

Stand with me against the change by signing this petition to the CEO of Auckland Transport to save the OuterLink.

David Seymour
MP for Epsom