The reliability of Fullers is under fire as disrupted services are seeing commuters being taken between Auckland ferry terminals in Ubers and taxis.
Over the weekend, more than 50 services across Auckland and Hobsonville Point, Auckland and Half Moon Bay and the Inner Harbour Loop were replaced by vehicles while others were cancelled or delayed.
Travellers who rely on the ferries are facing uncertainty and frustration – but Chris Darby, Auckland Councillor for the North Shore, says he and others are also at their "wits' end" on the "failings of Fullers360".
He told 1News: "We are actually quite concerned about the systemic issues that Fullers seem to have".
Darby said he's "very familiar" with "ongoing" problems with Fullers and its ability "to deliver a reliable ferry service, particularly on the downtown Devonport route," adding that ordering Ubers and taxis for passengers is "not remotely" a good way of operating.
"I'd like to see Auckland Transport to see responding to Fullers inability to turn up and carry people by ferry," he explained.
One of Darby's biggest worries is Fullers' staffing issues.
He said: "I have asked AT, many months ago, to sit right on top of Fullers and to understand their issues.
"There doesn't seem to be any rectification of structural and systemic issues that Fullers are facing. They relate a lot to the inability to fully staff their organisation."
Fullers360 chief executive Mike Horne acknowledged the company is currently short 50 qualified marine crew such as deckhands and skippers.
He told 1News: "As a result, our timetables are extremely constrained by the number of crew available to deliver services.
"Regrettably, we are experiencing a higher level of service disruptions because of this shortage."
Horne said Fullers needs skilled people with specific marine qualifications, as set out by Maritime New Zealand, which take many months to years, depending on the level of those professionals, to achieve from an entry level position and up.
He said: "We understand the flow-on effect this has to our customers and local businesses who rely on our service for transport and patronage. We are doing our best to find short and long-term solutions to resolve this issue."
Fullers has been working with the central government to encourage residency pathway options for skilled maritime workers, with all entry level marine positions being filled domestically. Discussions are also taking place Transport and Immigration Minister Michael Wood about the issue and solutions.
Ageing fleet
But Darby also took aim at the company struggling with mechanical issues on their boats.
Horne said it is "widely known" that Auckland’s ferry fleet consists of "a number of ageing vessels that require regular maintenance".
Mechanical events are managed by a 24/7 rapid response and recovery team, which provides a triage and rapid response service to minimise and rectify unexpected breakdowns.
A maintenance unit of 20 people is expected to swiftly respond to any vessel events on the water and minimise the extent of the delays to services.
Horne said: "On balance, the number of ferry cancellations affected by maintenance issues is low".
"Most maintenance disruptions are either preventative or safety measures that remove risk of breakdown or incident in transit to therefore improve reliability for passengers."
As of July 1 last year, Auckland Transport acquired four ferries from Fullers as "it was an unreliable place to have those ferries reside under their ownership," Darby said.
One of them so far has been completely refurbished with new engines and is set to be re-introduced within the month.
Work will then begin to install new motors, propulsion units and fresh interiors to the other three to make them fit for purpose.
It comes as Ubers were ordered for travellers trying to make their way from the city's downtown terminal to Devonport on Friday night after two late-night services were cancelled with little warning.
At least 20 people faced being stranded in torrential rain when the 11.30pm service was cut just three minutes before it was supposed to leave.
The AT spokesperson said Friday night's services were abandoned due to "vessel mechanical failure", adding: "Unfortunately sometimes mechanical or equipment issues happen last minute".
Uber and taxi replacements
Last year, Ubers and taxis replaced more than 350 ferry services across Auckland with many of the cancellations attributed to "high levels of engineering failures" while crew shortages and "operational constraints" were attributed to others.
As of October last year, 2312 of about 61,000 ferry services in 2022 were replaced by either buses, taxis or Ubers.
Commuters pay their regular public transport fee, which is currently half price, with trips in an Uber for four passenger ranging between $29 and $80 per trip.
For the Devonport, Half Moon Bay, Gulf Harbour and Hobsonville Point routes, AT receives either rebates or abatements for those trips that have not been provided by the operator. This money covers the cost of any replacement transport which the operator has previously arranged.
Operators bear the cost of replacement transport on other routes.
In a statement to 1News, an AT spokesperson said: "AT is currently streamlining the procurement of these replacement transport options direct with alternative suppliers, to ensure that improved network integration is achieved through a more standardised approach to alternative transport and improved value for money."
AT is not able to provide the data for the number of or cost of Ubers and taxis until the end of the month.
MP Wood declined to comment.
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