Auckland Transport and police say they are working to improve safety on buses, trains and ferries.Duoya Lu
Explainer – A series of unprovoked attacks on Auckland public transport – including a fatal stabbing last month – have raised concerns about the safety of riders and drivers in Aotearoa’s biggest city.
Auckland Transport says the vast majority of public transport goes by without incident, and it has set up a variety of public safety measures.
What can people do if they’re worried about their own safety on public transport? Here’s what you need to know.
What’s been happening on Auckland public transport?
From January to December 2025, there were 2161 reported incidents of “aggression, violence, racism, discrimination, and inappropriate behaviour” on Auckland public transport, said Auckland Transport’s Director of Public Transport and Active Modes, Stacey van der Putten.
“The number of reported cases fluctuates across the months, ranging from a low of 84 cases in December 2025 to a peak of 249 cases in March 2025,” she said.
The rough average from those numbers would work out to about six reported incidents per day in 2025.
Some attacks in the past few years have been fatal.
On 8 December, a 59-year-old was fatally stabbed on a bus travelling from Glen Innes towards Ōrakei in East Auckland. Another man, 41, was seriously injured after boarding the same bus a short time later. A suspect has since been arrested.
“We are very, very concerned about those specific incidents,” NZ Police Inspector Charles Ip, the area prevention manager for Auckland City East, told RNZ.
“The commissioner has made it quite clear for us as an organisation to ensure that everyone in New Zealand is safe and they feel safe.”
Police launched a homicide investigation after a fatal stabbing on an East Auckland bus in December.RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Is violence actually getting worse? Are buses safe?
“Public transport is safe,” van der Putten said. “These incidents are an absolute minority; it is important to remember that last week Aucklanders took around 1.8 million public transport trips, with the vast majority having safe, comfortable, and enjoyable journeys.”
AT’s data showed that March 2025 was the peak month last year for incidents, at 249, while only 84 incidents were reported in December.
Van der Putten said that data is based on reports from the public.
“This data is based solely on public submissions and may include subjective or anecdotal accounts. As such, they represent perceived incidents rather than confirmed legal breaches or verified violations of operational policy.”
According to AT, there were also slightly fewer assaults against public transport drivers from 2024 to 2025, down from 60 to 55, although December 2025’s numbers are not yet included in that total.
“This is largely driven through the rollout of bus driver safety screens, with over 650 buses now having them installed,” van der Putten said.
Police are working hand in hand with AT to address the issues.
“We’re also working very, very hard with our partner agencies such as the local council and AT to do everything that we can to understand what we are facing and how we work together to reduce as much of these incidents as we can,” Ip said.
“The nature of these incidents appears to reflect broader trends in society as many cities have seen violence rise in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, amid wider social pressures and economic strain,” van der Putten said.
Auckland Transport’s app has ways to report dangerous situations.RNZ / Jessica Hopkins
AT is “continuously monitoring and adapting our strategies to prevent harm and respond” when incidents happen, van der Putten said.
People can report dangerous or threatening behaviour immediately by:
“Our awareness of incidents is increasing as we’ve made it easier for customers to report their experience through to us,” van der Putten said.
There are also bright orange “safety points” at every major bus, train and ferry terminal. The help button on them will connect people to the Auckland Transport Operations Centre which operates 24 hours a day. It won’t connect directly to emergency services so if people are in immediate danger they should contact 111.
AT said it has seen a “moderate” increase in safety point usage and has also launched a public awareness campaign to draw more attention to them.
There are red emergency buttons on trains which immediately alert the driver to incidents on board.
Auckland Transport also has more than 4800 CCTV cameras in place around the city which are monitored from the operations centre.
There are also a total of 54 Auckland Transport Officers and six supervisors who monitor buses, trains and ferries.
“They are trained in self-awareness, situational awareness, incident management and de-escalation and tactical communication techniques,” van der Putten said.
They also are trained to escalate incidents to NZ Police but not physically intervene.
“We will be there at the earliest opportunity,” Ip said.
Police do not patrol buses and trains on a regular basis.
“We can’t be there on every single bus, it’s just not feasible,” Ip said.
The transport officers get a comprehensive six-week induction course supplemented through ongoing mentored field training, van der Putten said.
“We can confidently say, addressing these complexities has proven challenging across all sectors and takes a collective approach, working with police, other agencies, and communities.”
An electric double-decker bus in rainy Auckland conditions.Auckland Transport / supplied
Should I be worried about getting on a bus? What can the public do?
“Our recommendation is that everyone stay vigilant regardless of how they move around our city and communities,” van der Putten said.
“Stay aware of your surroundings, secure your belongings, and know how to get help when needed.”
“Trust your gut feeling,” Ip said. Avoid confrontations if you can or try to move away or get off the public transport, he said.
“The key is to try to de-escalate, not to increase the risk to your personal safety.”
Basic safety tips like keeping valuables out of sight and avoiding being too distracted by your headphones also is important, van der Putten said.
If a violent incident is unfolding in front of you while on a bus or train, keep calm, Ip said, and contact police as soon as you can when it’s safe to do so.
“I think the main message that we want to get out there is that whilst reporting an incident is important, nothing is as important as your safety, everyone’s safety.”
It’s also important that friends or family generally know where and when you are travelling, and you have access to a phone for emergencies.
If you’re a tourist, you should be aware of how to contact New Zealand authorities using 111.
If you’re travelling alone and have concerns, staying in visible lighting, with people around you if possible, or sitting close to the driver can also help.
“Just trying to be more visible in terms of where you are is actually quite important,” Ip said.
“We have developed extensive training and development programmes for our network staff, including transport officers, security and customer service teams, control centre operators.
“These initiatives aim to enhance monitoring, increase visibility, bolster security, and ensure a rapid response to incidents from the very first day.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
One man is lucky to be alive after a fall down a Northland cliff face, stranded for more than five hours, with little to no line of communication to the outside world.
Various agencies pulled together on Saturday night, after a 53-year-old man called Police at around 9.42pm reporting he had fallen near Butterfly Bay, north of Tauranga Bay.
Detective Sergeant Ryan Cooper, Northland Search and Rescue, says initially the cell phone coverage was poor, making it difficult to pinpoint the man’s exact location.
“There were long periods where we were not able to speak to him via phone or text,” he says.
“From the first phone call we believed the man had fallen approximately 100-150ft down the cliff face, making it a threat to life.”
In an effort to locate the man a frontline Sergeant and Police SAR teams coordinated from above and below the cliff face.
“A member of SAR managed to voice appeal the man using sound line techniques,” Detective Sergeant Cooper says.
“This was very difficult to do as to be able to locate him our officer had to saddle the side of the cliff.”
At the same time the Northern Emergency Services Trust deployed its helicopter to the area, however, were unsuccessful in reaching the man due to the steep terrain and strong winds.
“Unfortunately, this was not known at the time of deployment, as we were not certain of his exact location initially,” Detective Sergeant Cooper says.
“Once we located him were we able to deploy a ropes team to the scene.”
The man was eventually winched to safety at 2.36am.
“He was extremely shaken up but miraculously hadn’t suffered any injuries aside from a few scrapes and bruises,” Detective Sergeant Cooper says.
“The man was very appreciative of his rescue and was reunited with his son back at a nearby campground.”
Detective Sergeant Cooper is pleased the operation was a success, and credits Land Search and Rescue for their work.
“It’s times like these where our LandSAR teams combined skills lead to a successful rescue,” he says.
“This rescue presented challenges with the cell phone reception and weather being a factor, but we managed to rescue the man back to safety.”
The Government will set out its financial intentions for the coming year on 28 May when it delivers the 2026 Budget, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.
“The focus of this year’s Budget will be on supporting the delivery of core public services – in particular, health care, education, defence, and law and order.”
Nicola Willis says the Budget will demonstrate tight control of discretionary government spending while funding a limited number of priority commitments.
“There will be no splashing the cash.
“Careful stewardship of public finances is essential to fixing the basics and building the future.
“Delivering savings and reprioritising existing expenditure will again be features of the Budget.
“These sorts of decisions are always tough, but they are necessary to ensure we can continue to fund the public services people rely upon while getting the books back in order.”
Auckland Council says using AI to help sort through bins will make the region’s rubbish management more cost-effective.
Almost a third of Auckland’s recycling now ends up in landfill, and the council said it was costing ratepayers about $3.5 million a year.
Auckland Council general waste manager Justine Hayes said that people putting the wrong items in the recycling bin was a big problem.
“We are getting rubbish in the recycling bins, which essentially means that the sorting process takes longer, and we have to pay to dispose of that rubbish in a landfill rather than recycling it.
“We’re seeing people bagging recyclable items that unfortunately end up going into the rubbish, and nappies and soft plastics are unfortunately a common find in recycling bins.”
RNZ / Duoya Lu
Hayes said the council conducting inspections and giving warning notices before confiscating bins, had been effective, but the new AI technology they had started using would speed up this process.
“AI is being trialled to see whether we can monitor the recycling that’s coming into the truck. Through the use of AI, we can pick up the contamination as it enters the truck instead of having to inspect every bin manually.”
She said the AI technology would help them focus on areas where rubbish contamination was highest.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
This summer, Auckland Zoo is inviting visitors to slow down and rediscover the wonder of nature through its vibrant new ‘In Your Nature‘ community art trail.
Now open and running until 8 February 2026, the trail showcases a stunning collection of 88 artworks, photographs, and poems created by nature lovers from across Aotearoa.
📷: Nicole Steven | DOC
A celebration of community creativity
Selected from hundreds of entries, the featured works represent an extraordinary range of voices—from toddlers to octogenarians—each offering a unique perspective on what it means to connect with nature.
The pieces span everything from oil paintings and wildlife photography to children’s drawings and hand‑painted sketches. Together, they form a rich visual tapestry that speaks to how profoundly the natural world inspires creativity and wellbeing.
Dr Sarah Thomas, Auckland Zoo’s Head of Conservation Advocacy and Engagement, highlights the heart behind the exhibition:
“It’s in our nature to connect with nature, and it’s really good for us! Research shows that spending time connecting with wildlife and in green spaces contributes to lowering stress, boosting our mood, and deepening our sense of belonging and wellbeing.”
📷: Auckland Zoo
Always Be Naturing: a moment for connection
The trail doesn’t only display art, it actively invites you to slow down and reflect on your personal connection with nature.
To help with this you’ll see action-oriented panels explaining simple ways to get “naturing,” such as exploring the outdoors without headphones or helping keep coasts tidy with a beach clean-up.
You’ll also see our Always Be Naturing “50 Fun Things” display showcase 50 ways to engage with outdoor spaces, giving practical ideas for naturing activities you can do at home.
Whether you’re seeking a mindful moment, an inspiring family outing, or a deeper connection with Aotearoa’s wildlife, the “In Your Nature” Art Trail offers a beautiful new way to connect.
📷: Nicole Steven | DOC
Plan your visit
The Art Trail is included with general admission and is open daily until 8 February 2026.
For families, creatives, nature enthusiasts, or anyone needing a wellbeing boost, this vibrant celebration of community art is a summer must‑see.
📷: Nicole Steven | DOC
Partnership with Auckland Zoo
For more than three decades, Auckland Zoo and DOC have collaborated on recovery programmes and fieldwork for some of our country’s most threatened species.
In 2024 we signed a new strategic partnership to deliver even greater outcomes for conservation across Aotearoa.
