Don't Blame Fullers!

Those who blame Fullers for queues and delays at each end of the Devonport/CBD ferry service during the big Rugby World Cup Party celebrations a couple of Fridays ago, make the same mistake as those who blame Veolia for what happened to the train services. As newspaper reports have gradually peeled layers off the onion of that rather public Auckland failure, it has become clear that while institutional eyes were firmly on the ball of a game of rugby at Eden Park, those same eyes were off the ball of a very large fireworks party on Auckland's waterfront.

Some say: "we were victims of our own success", others admit: "there was a collective failure of planning". And so many individuals claiming to have guessed the numbers of people who would flock to the waterfront, issuing email trails to the media, remembering who said what at meetings. As if it really matters....

It was a collective failure of planning, but it was also the predictable result of the failures that occur with peak travel demand. It's what almost happens every morning and every night on Auckland's motorway system. It gets almost grid-locked because its ability to cope with demand is almost at its peak.

When demand moves a bit past that peak - such as what happens to motorway systems out of Auckland - North and South - when there's a long weekend and the weather forecast is fantastic - then we see gridlock. Nobody goes anywhere for a long time.

At those times demand needs to be managed. And it's not by suddenly supplying a whole bunch of new motorway capacity.

Just as it's just not possible for Veolia or Fullers to suddenly build a whole lot of new trains and new stations to meet a sudden surge in demand. So don't blame them for not meeting the demand. Sure they can do a better job - provided they are paid to and it's part of the contract - in terms of putting guards in train carriages, and increasing service frequencies - subject to stations also coping with increased service loads, and subject to there being extra rolling or floating stock.

I well remember other times when Devonport Ferry service has been criticised. One time was a very popular Auckland Marathon event which started at Devonport's Windsor Park. Around 250 athletes didn't make the start because they were stranded in Auckland ferry terminal. Even though athletes had to register in advance, so numbers were known, organisers had failed to communicate this information to the ferry operators or to ARTA (who then funded Fullers to provide the service). At the time local voices criticised Fullers, but Fullers did their best on the morning.... It wasn't their fault...

Planning is everything when it comes to managing crowds at events.

200,000 people plus attend Christmas events and others of similar size on the Domain. They come from far and wide. But they come. Those events last a good long time. Some might have a fireworks display but it's just a part of a several hours of entertainment, and people come gradually, throughout the evening, and some go before the big bang. Still had a good time.

Those in charge of Rugby World Cup festivities in Auckland made the mistake of emphasising one specific event which required people to be at the waterfront at a very specific time. This was the fireworks display. 15 minutes. And it was heavily promoted. It was a beautiful night. Everyone came. They demanded transport. Demand exceeded peak. Gridlock. Q.E.D.

There are adaptive fanzones all over Auckland now. We see some of them in the media. Like the bars and restaurants in Kingsland. There are other opportunities. Like Queen Street. Like Aotea Square. Where fun can be spread out. In time and space.

We can learn from what happened by not planning for a repeat performance. A repeat performance is almost guaranteed if the powers that be decide there will be a fireworks display at the end of the RWC tournament that you can only see from the Waterfront, and that you see best from the VIP platform at the end of Queens Wharf.

Dignatories will have a great time. Might even think of getting there by helicopter or by boat to avoid the crowds. Imagine that. Private ferry service.

But everyone else who wants to come to the party must take a risk and plunge into the CBD at the Waterfront (fit young things and tough old things), while everyone else stays at home and watches TV (families, mum and dad, older people....the majority).

Spread the love guys. Plan for a party across Auckland.