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01 December 2025

AA Members’ satisfaction with public transport

Insights from AA Members on public bus and train use, satisfaction and safety

Public transport plays an important role in how New Zealanders get around, particularly in our larger centres. Each year, the AA surveys thousands of Members to understand how well local transport is working for them.

This report focuses on AA Members’ satisfaction with local bus and train trips across New Zealand, highlighting which aspects of public transport work well, where Members are less satisfied, and how experiences differ by region.

In February 2025, around 2 out of 10 AA Members used public transport in the past four weeks:

  • 15% used a local bus at least once (n=1,100).
  • 6% used a train at least once (n=413).

For more detailed insights on car trips, cycling, walking, and transport priorities, see: AA Local Transport Survey 2025: What AA Members think about local transport options and priorities

Key findings

Bus trips are generally rated positively, especially for safety on board and driver performance

  • AA Members rated several safety-related aspects of bus trips highly, including personal safety on the bus (7 out of 10; 71% satisfied), safety of bus drivers’ driving (7 out of 10; 67% satisfied), and route design to reach destinations safely (7 out of 10; 65% satisfied).

Enjoyment of bus trips is strong, and higher than enjoyment of car trips

  • Most AA Members enjoy their local bus trips, with 6 out of 10 (64%) satisfied and 1 out of 10 (9%) dissatisfied. By comparison, 4 out of 10 (43%) enjoy car trips and 2 out of 10 (21%) are dissatisfied.

Bus fares are a pain point overall, with large regional differences

  • Just over half of AA Members are satisfied with bus fare prices (5 out of 10; 53%), while 3 out of 10 (26%) are dissatisfied.
  • Satisfaction is much higher in Canterbury (8 out of 10; 80%) and Otago (8 out of 10; 78%).
  • Satisfaction is lowest in Auckland (4 out of 10; 38% satisfied; while 4 out of 10; 39% dissatisfied) and Wellington (4 out of 10; 43% satisfied; while 3 out of 10; 32% dissatisfied).

Traffic congestion is one of the lowest-rated aspects of bus trips, but  is  rated even worse for car trips

  • Fewer than 4 out of 10 (38%) bus users are satisfied with traffic congestion on bus trips, while 3 out of 10 (29%) are dissatisfied. For car trips, only 3 out of 10 (28%) are satisfied and nearly 5 out of 10 (46%) are dissatisfied.

Satisfaction with the safety of other road users’ driving is low

  • Fewer than half of bus users are satisfied with the safety of other drivers’ behaviour (4 out of 10; 43% satisfied), while 2 out of 10 (19%) are dissatisfied.
  • Canterbury is the only district where more than half are satisfied (5 out of 10; 53%), while satisfaction is lowest in Auckland (4 out of 10; 41%) and Wellington (4 out of 10; 37%).

Bus service reliability is moderate, with variation by district

  • Around 6 out of 10 (56%) AA Members are satisfied with bus frequency, while 2 out of 10 (21%) are dissatisfied.
  • The same pattern appears for bus punctuality, with 6 out of 10 (58%) satisfied and 2 out of 10 (21%) dissatisfied.

Train trips are rated highly for safety and enjoyment in both cities, but fare price is the weakest area

  • Across both Auckland and Wellington, train users report strong satisfaction with enjoyment of travel (around 3 out of 4 satisfied), personal safety, and station condition. Fare price is consistently the lowest-rated aspect in both cities.

Train enjoyment is very high compared with other modes

  • 8 out of 10 Auckland train users (78%) and 3 out of 4 Wellington train users (75%) enjoy their train trips, higher than reported enjoyment for bus or car travel.

Train fares are a clear pain point in both cities

  • Less than half of users are satisfied with train fare prices, with 46% satisfied in Auckland and 37% in Wellington. Around a third of users in each city report dissatisfaction.

Train reliability is moderate, with similar patterns in both cities

  • Around 6 out of 10 users are satisfied with train frequency (60% Auckland; 63% Wellington) and punctuality (62% Auckland; 58% Wellington), though roughly a quarter remain dissatisfied.

Train safety differs notably between Auckland and Wellington

  • Personal safety on board is much higher in Wellington, with 9 out of 10 (85%) satisfied, compared with 7 out of 10 (66%) in Auckland.
    At stations, 8 out of 10 Wellington users (78%) feel safe, compared with 6 out of 10 (64%) in Auckland, where dissatisfaction is roughly double.

Bus trips

How satisfied are AA Members with bus trips?

15% of AA Members reported using a public bus at least once in the past four weeks.

District-level results are reported where 50 or more AA Members had used local public transport, with results weighted to reflect the age and gender of the overall AA Membership, as well as each individual district. 

  • Bus use was highest in Wellington; nearly 4 out of 10 (37%) of AA Wellington Members had taken a bus in the past four weeks. This was followed by Auckland, where just over a quarter (27%) of Members had caught a bus.
  • Young people aged 18 to 24 had significantly higher bus usage than older Members, at 27%. 

Personal safety on buses is highly rated, while traffic congestion is an issue

We wanted to know how satisfied AA Members across the country are with local public bus trips.

Overall, most AA Members are satisfied with local bus trips.

  • The highest rated aspects of bus trips are personal safety on the bus (71% satisfaction), safety of bus drivers’ driving (67%), and route design to reach destinations safely (65% satisfied).
  •  AA Members are least satisfied with traffic congestion while riding the bus, with 3 out of 10 (29%) dissatisfied.
  • Safety of other drivers on the road was also a concern, with 2 out of 10 (19%) dissatisfied.
  • Less than half of AA Members (44%) are satisfied with the availability of bus lanes – 17% were dissatisfied. 

Most AA Members enjoy bus trips

Most AA Members enjoy their local bus trips, with 6 out of 10 (64%) being satisfied. 1 out of 10 (9%) were dissatisfied. In contrast, enjoyment is lower for car trips. Only 4 out of 10 (43%) enjoyed local car trips, and 2 out of 10 (21%) were dissatisfied. 

Satisfaction was high across the country - particularly in Otago, with 7 out of 10 (71%) enjoying their local bus trips.  

Bus fares receive relatively low satisfaction

The price of fares was one of the lowest rated aspects of bus travel, with just over half of AA Members being satisfied. 3 out of 10 (26%) are dissatisfied.  

  • Notably, the two AA districts with highest satisfaction for fare price are Canterbury and Otago, which both had flat rate fees in February 2025. 8 out of 10 AA Members in both districts were satisfied (80% Canterbury, 78% Otago).
  • The lowest satisfaction for bus fares was in Auckland (38% satisfied, and 39% dissatisfied), followed by Wellington (43% satisfied, 32% dissatisfied). These areas have more complex, zone-based structures, and generally higher fares than flat-fare regions. 

Bus frequency receives mixed ratings

6 out of 10 (56%) of AA Members were satisfied with the frequency of their local buses. A third (28%) were dissatisfied.

  •   Canterbury bus users were significantly more likely to be satisfied with bus frequency, with 70% being satisfied, and 17% dissatisfied.
  • The least satisfied were those in Otago, with under half (46%) satisfied, and 41% dissatisfied. 

Bus punctuality is rated more positively, but dissatisfaction remains

6 out of 10 (58%) of AA Members were satisfied with buses being on time. 1 out of 5 (21%) were dissatisfied.

  • Satisfaction with bus punctuality is highest in Canterbury (65% satisfied), with 16% being dissatisfied.
  • The highest dissatisfaction is in Otago, where a third (32%) of bus users are not satisfied with buses being on time. 

Personal safety while riding the bus is highly rated

Satisfaction with personal safety while riding the bus is high, with 71% being satisfied. 9% reported being dissatisfied. 

  • 8 out of 10 (80%) of Otago AA Members are satisfied with their personal safety while riding the bus – just 1% were dissatisfied.
  • Auckland AA Members were the least satisfied with their personal safety on the bus – 60% were satisfied, and 16% were dissatisfied. 

Bus stops feel safe for most, but less so in Auckland

Satisfaction with personal safety at bus stops is also relatively high. 

  •  The highest satisfaction was again in Otago, with 76% being satisfied with personal safety at bus stops, and 1% being dissatisfied.
  •  In contrast, 56% of Auckland AA Members reported being satisfied – 20% reported being dissatisfied with personal safety at bus stops.

Satisfaction with bus drivers' driving is high

The safety of bus drivers’ driving was one of the highest rated factors in the survey, with 67% of AA Members being satisfied. 11% were dissatisfied. 

  • Satisfaction with bus drivers' driving was highest in Otago, with 75% of AA Members being satisfied, and just 5% being dissatisfied.
  • Satisfaction with bus drivers' driving was lowest in Waikato, with 62% being satisfied, and 15% being dissatisfied and Auckland, where 63% were satisfied, and 16% were dissatisfied. 

Bus users report higher satisfaction with the safety of other drivers than users of other modes

Bus users report higher satisfaction with others’ driving than users of other modes. This likely reflects the relative safety of bus travel, compared to modes like cycling and walking, which have more risk of collisions. However, satisfaction is still low, with only 4 out of 10 (43%) being satisfied, and 19% dissatisfied. 

 

Bus routes are rated as more efficient than car routes

We wanted to understand how well AA Members think roads are designed for them to get to their destination efficiently across transport mode types.

  • The highest satisfaction with road layout for bus routes is in Waikato, with 71% of AA Members being satisfied. In comparison, only 43% of car users were satisfied.
  •  The highest dissatisfaction was in Otago, with around a third (27%) being dissatisfied. This was the only region where drivers were more satisfied (49%) than bus users (41%).

Bus routes are seen as safer than other travel modes

We asked AA Members how well they think routes are designed for safe travel while using different types of transport.

  • Bus routes layout for safety was rated as safest compared to other modes, with 65% being satisfied. 10% of bus users were dissatisfied.
  • In comparison, just under half of drivers (49%) are satisfied with how well roads are designed for their safety, and a third (30%) are dissatisfied.
  • Less than half of cyclists were satisfied with the design of roads for their safety, with 4 in 10 satisfied (43%), and 3 in 10 being dissatisfied (33%). Cycle lanes or public tracks were rated as slightly safer, with just under half (49%) being satisfied, and 31% being dissatisfied.

Less than half of AA Members are satisfied with the availability of bus lanes

We asked AA Members how satisfied they are with bus lane availability.

  • Canterbury Members were the most satisfied with the availability of bus lanes, with 6 out of 10 (62%) being satisfied. 8% were dissatisfied. 
  • In all other AA Districts, satisfaction was less than half. It was lowest in Otago, where only 1 out of 5 (22%) were satisfied with the availability of bus lanes, and 20% were dissatisfied.

Most AA Members are not satisfied with the level of traffic congestion

Less than half (38%) of AA Members were satisfied with traffic congestion while riding the bus. A third (29%) are dissatisfied.

While overall satisfaction with traffic congestion is low for bus users, it is still significantly higher than satisfaction with congestion while driving. Satisfaction with traffic congestion on car trips sits at 28% of Members satisfied, and 46% dissatisfied.

Over half of AA Members are satisfied with bus stop condition

Most AA Members (60%) are satisfied with the condition of local bus stops. 18% are dissatisfied. 

  • Dissatisfaction is highest in Auckland, where 19% of bus users are not satisfied with the condition of their local bus stops.
  • Satisfaction is highest in the Waikato, with 64% being satisfied, and 10% being dissatisfied. 

Satisfaction with accessibility on bus trips is mixed

Satisfaction with accessibility for disabled and older passengers is mixed for AA bus users, with just under half (45%) satisfied and 9% dissatisfied. 1 in 5 (21%) were neutral, and 25% didn’t know, or said it wasn’t applicable to them. 

  • The highest satisfaction was in Canterbury (54%) and Waikato (52%).
  • Wellington had the highest amounts of  AA Members dissatisfied with accessibility on buses, at 11%. 40% were satisfied.

Train trips

How satisfied are AA Members with train trips?

15% of AA Auckand Members had caught at train in the past 4 weeks. A quarter (24%) of Wellington Members had caught a train.

AA Members are mostly satisfied with train trips

Across the board, the majority of AA Members are satisfied with train trips, with the exception of fare price.

  • In Auckland, the highest rated aspects were enjoyment of travel or commute (78% satisfied), train station condition (76%), and acceptable time to destination (69%).
  • In Wellington, the highest rated aspects were personal safety on board (85%), personal safety at the train station (78%), and enjoyment (75%), with train station condition close behind at 74%.
  • Fare price was the only aspect of train travel rated as satisfactory by less than half of AA Members, with 46% of AA Auckland train users being satisfied, and 37% of AA Wellington train users.

AA Members enjoy train trips more than any other type of transport

Significantly more people enjoy train trips than other transport types, with over 75% reporting that they enjoy their train trips.

Less than half of AA Members are satisfied with the price of train fares

Satisfaction was lowest for the price of train fares, with less than half of train users in Auckland and Wellington being satisfied, and a significant proportion being dissatisfied.

There are mixed views on whether train frequency is sufficient

Around 6 out of 10 AA Members in Auckland and Wellington are satisfied with the frequency of trains, although a significant minority are not.

  • 6 out of 10 (60%) of Auckland train users are satisfied with local train frequency. A quarter (24%) are dissatisfied.
  • 6 out of 10 (63%) of Wellington train users are satisfied with the frequency of local trains. 1 in 5 (22%) are dissatisfied.

Train punctuality is also an issue for some

Around 6 out of 10 AA Members in both cities are satisfied with trains being on time, although punctuality is an issue for some.

  • In Auckland, 6 out of 10 (62%)  train users were satisfied with train punctuality. Around a quarter (24%) were dissatisfied. 
  • 6 out of 10 (58%) Wellington train users were satisfied, and 28% were dissatisfied. 

The majority are satisfied with the time trains take to reach their destination

Just under 7 out of 10 AA Auckland and Wellington train users are satisfied with the amount of time it takes to get to their destination. 

Personal safety on trains is an issue in Auckland

There were significant differences in satisfaction with personal safety on trains between Auckland and Wellington.

  • 7 out of 10 (66%) Auckland train users are satisfied with their personal safety on the train – however, 12% are dissatisfied.
  • Nearly 9 out of 10 (85%) of Wellington train users are satisfied. Just 2% are dissatisfied. 

Personal safety at train stations is also an issue in Auckland

Auckland train users were less likely than Wellington train users to report feeling safe at stations.

  • 6 out of 10 (64%) of Auckland train users feel safe at train stations. 10% do not.
  • 8 out of 10 (78%) of Wellington train users report feeling safe at train stations, and 5% do not. 

Satisfaction with the condition of train stations is relatively high

The majority of AA Members in Auckland and Wellington are satisfied with the condition of local train stations. 

Over half are satisfied with accessibility on train trips

Just over half of AA Members are satisfied with the accessibility of trains for the disabled and elderly.

  • 54% of Wellington train users are satisfied with disability access, and 4% are dissatisfied.
  • 53% of Auckland train users are satisfied, and 2% are dissatisfied. 

About the AA Local Transport Survey 2025

The Local Transport Survey 2025 is an annual survey of AA Members. The aim is to understand Members' local transport experiences across modes - including car trips, walking, cycling, bus, and train use. The survey also covers Members' preferences for where local transport improvements are focused, and any recent improvements that improved their quality of life. 

The survey was conducted in February 2025 using a randomly selected representative sample of Members. A total of 7,568 Members responded to the survey, out of the 135,244 Members who were invited to participate. This gives us a response rate of 5.6%.

The margin of error for the total sample is approximately ±1.1% at a 95% confidence level. This means that if we repeated the survey with a different random sample of invited Members, the results would likely vary by no more than 1.1 percentage points in either direction.

To ensure the results accurately reflect the AA Membership, we applied statistical weighting based on age, gender, and district demographics. For example, if fewer women participated than are represented in the overall AA Membership, their responses were proportionally adjusted to better match the true demographic profile.

Findings from the Local Transport Survey 2025 are used to understand AA Members' experiences with local transport, and to identify issues that our 18 District Councils around the country can raise with local road controlling authorities.

AA Member survey results help guide the AA's position and advocacy on issues when we are responding to potential changes by authorities, and to promote our own ideas for improving transport. 

The AA's positions are formed considering survey results, evidence from research, our own policy analysis, and the views of AA District Councils from across New Zealand.

Media contact and further information

  • For media enquiries, please contact the AA Manager of Research, Safety & Communications Dylan Thomsen, +64 4 931 9991
  • For information about the survey or further results, get in touch with our team at membervoices@aa.co.nz.
  • Visit the AA Transport Surveys to find out more about the survey programme.