Pink Shirt Day: Creating welcoming spaces together

Team members from Kinetic New Zealand’s Auckland operations and support office teams were joined by representatives from Auckland Transport, Te Hā Oranga – Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua and Safety Ambassadors from Armourguard at Kinetic’s New Lynn Depot.

Kindness, inclusion and respect are at the heart of Pink Shirt Day. These values are especially important in public transport, where creating welcoming spaces is something we all play a role in.

Recognised annually in New Zealand on the third Friday of May, Pink Shirt Day encourages people to speak up, stand together and help stop bullying; a message that strongly resonates across our networks, workplaces and communities.

Today, one of our Auckland services became a moving show of support for Pink Shirt Day, with passengers welcomed on board by a sea of pink and provided with Pink Shirt Day resources from the Mental Health Foundation, including kōrero starter cards, stickers and practical information on how to stand together, speak up, and seek help, along with Pinky chocolate bars - because what’s a sweeter way to start a conversation?

The service was joined by members of the Kinetic team, Auckland Transport and Te Hā Oranga - Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua, along with our Safety Ambassadors, who have been out supporting our drivers and passengers across parts of Auckland’s network since March. Behind the wheel was Mena, a proud grandmother and Kinetic driver since 2019, who kept the team moving throughout the morning while operating her regular Auckland service.

For Mena, the message behind Pink Shirt Day is personal. She reflected on the importance of teaching her grandchildren to be kind, support one another and not let hurtful words define them.

Today’s activity reflected a shared commitment to creating positive public spaces for everyone who uses public transport, and what can happen when operators, partners and communities come together around a shared goal.

Across the country, our depots and workshops also marked Pink Shirt Day through morning teas and team activities, creating opportunities for conversations around respect, inclusion and supporting one another in the workplace.

As part of this year’s Pink Shirt Day activity, and our ongoing commitment to growing great leaders, we also supported leaders and frontline teams through a webinar and supporting resources focused on recognising inappropriate behaviours early and helping foster safe, respectful and supportive environments across our workplaces.

Thank you to everyone who got behind Pink Shirt Day 2026 and helped reinforce the importance of kindness, inclusion and standing together.

If you would like to support the Mental Health Foundation’s Pink Shirt Day fundraising efforts, you can make an online donation here. Every online donation made today will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000, by Pink Shirt Day sponsor AIA Vitality.