Auckland Transport has apologised for causing confusion after facing backlash for recommending people drive to the Elton John concert at Mt Smart tonight.
Last night, AT made a post to Facebook saying: "Heading to see Elton John? Plan your journey in advance and travel early if you can.
"Driving to the concert is recommended, but if you can’t, there are public transport options included in your concert ticket."
The agency faced massive backlash online, with the closure of trains in the city being a double blow to concertgoers.
In a statement this afternoon, AT apologised for the confusion their release caused and reassured Aucklanders that there is a full public transport plan in place.
"A message was published last night on our Facebook page that suggested people should drive to the Elton John concert in light of the partial closure of the rail network by KiwiRail," a spokesperson said.
"We want to reassure Aucklanders there is a full transport plan in place, which provides for a range of options. Via the promotion, we have reinforced these options to all ticketholders.
"We apologise for the confusion this has caused. We have since updated the post.
"Given the partial closure of the rail network by KiwiRail tonight and full closure on Saturday night, the plan is similar to that used for the Billy Joel concerts at Eden Park, with greater capacity on bus special event services and extra options for parking."
AT said special busses would be in place for the event, with shuttles from the CBD to the concert departing every 10 minutes before and after the show.
Special busses will also be shuttling between Ōtāhuhu and Penrose while the Southern Line is out of action.
A number of Auckland councillors criticised AT's communication, including Josephine Bartley - she said it made no sense.
"We have just built the first electric bus depot in Australasia. We should be promoting public transport, but now we're encouraging people to get in their cars and drive? It just made no sense," she said.
Auckland Stadiums' James Parkinson told 1News that public transport is vital when a big concert rolls into town.
"We've worked closely with Auckland Transport for over 10 years now to provide special event services for our large concert events, and it is frustrating for all concerned, including Auckland Transport, that we don't have the full use of the rail network for this weekend," he said
"Typically, for a concert, we'll have about 30% of our patrons that make use of the public transport operation, so 70% of our patrons find a different way of getting to and from the venue."
Auckland University’s Dr Tim Welch called the messaging “awkward” and said AT needs to adopt a new model for these kinds of events.
"Essentially AT told people there were about 750 carparks so barring 53 people getting in one car and travelling, which we've never seen those numbers before, they really need to seek other modes," he said.
He also highlighted that recommending so many people drive could be a safety concern.
“And from a safety perspective, not just traffic jams but also people having a few drinks while they're enjoying the concert and trying to get home, the last thing we want people doing is getting behind the wheel.”
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