Benches have been disappearing from bus shelters across Auckland. Photo: Supplied/ Jon Turner
Benches are being stolen from bus shelters across Auckland but the city's transport agency has yet to file an official report to police despite knowing about the issue for three weeks.
Auckland Transport told RNZ it was aware of benches being removed from about 65 of the city's 3000 bus stops.
"It's possible these benches are being sold as scrap metal. We are in the process of sourcing benches constructed from different materials making them difficult to graffiti and a less desirable scrap product," said its manager of public transport real time and response, Rebecca Temple.
Temple said it's unfortunate that anti-theft bolting on the seats wasn't able to stop them being removed.
AT said in a statement that it "notified" police about three weeks ago, when it first became aware of the seats going missing.
But it said it's yet to file a formal report.
"We have not filed a formal police report because we are still gathering information on the sites where seats have gone missing to include in a report to police," it said.
"We have been gathering information on all 3000 bus shelters to try and understand the full extent of the issue across the network. This is due to be filed in the next day or so," said AT.
"We work with the police daily and so lodging this complaint is just the formality not the reality. We sit together in our operations centre," it added.
Meanwhile, a police spokesperson said they were not "immediately aware" of bus stop benches being stolen.
One of the shelters where there is nowhere to sit. Photo: Supplied/Jon Turner
'Are they just waiting for more to be stolen?'
Puketāpapa Local Board member Jon Turner said he first noticed the missing benches when going for a run down Mount Eden Road, and spotted eight missing.
Since he posted to social media, he's received reports of others missing in Sandringham, Avondale and around Greenwoods Corner on Manukau Road.
Turner said AT should be taking action now, rather than waiting longer to make a police report.
"How long are they going to keep waiting to make a report, when the things have already been stolen?
"Are they just waiting for more to be stolen to add to the list?," he said.
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