Covid-19: North Shore Sky Bus service yet to resume post-pandemic
Tēnā koutou. The Sky Bus North Harbour Express, north Aucklanders’ only direct link to the airport, is yet to resume more than a year after the service was suspended due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
The 55-minute service, which stops outside Albany Westfield and the Smales Farm and Akoranga bus stations along the Northern Busway, cost $25 and $46 for adult one-way and return tickets respectively, with discounted fares for seniors and families.
North Auckland residents have still been able to get to the airport on public transport, via the NX1 to Britomart, train to Papatoetoe Station and the Airport Link bus to the airport.
However, the trip requires two transfers and takes about an hour and 50 minutes from Albany for $7.20 and two hours from the Hibiscus Coast Bus Station for $8.28 – double the time it would take on the Sky Bus service.
Alternatively, north Aucklanders can take the NX1 into the city – $6.12 from the Hibiscus Coast and $4.86 from Albany – and catch the Sky Bus Auckland City Express, taking between an hour and five minutes and an hour and a half.
A Sky Bus spokesman said it is keen to bring the service back, however it would need to see a "significant lift" in patronage for its Auckland City Express. The service resumed in July, however patronage is down 80 per cent compared to pre-Covid.
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Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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84.5% Yes
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14.2% No
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1.3% Other - I'll share below
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