Ready for service: the work passengers rarely see

Before the first passengers board a bus each morning, an important part of Hamilton’s public transport operation has already taken place.

At Kinetic’s urban services depot on Higgins Road, a 10-person cleaning team works across day and night shifts to help prepare more than 100 buses for service. While passengers may only see the finished result, getting each bus ready requires careful coordination between cleaners, drivers and the wider depot team.

Eight members of the team work from 4pm until 12.30am, with another two working during the day. Together, they help ensure the depot’s fleet of around 110 buses is clean, presented to the required standard and ready to be allocated for the following day’s services.

It is an operation involving much more than cleaning alone.

As buses return to the depot, they need to be fuelled, parked and cleaned. The status of each vehicle must also be recorded accurately so the operations team knows which buses are ready to be assigned to drivers the following morning.

Hamilton Fleet Manager Rusco Niemand says completing that work across more than 100 buses each day takes considerable teamwork and coordination.

“Preparing the fleet for the next day is a coordinated operation. Every bus needs to move through fuelling, parking and cleaning, and its status must be recorded correctly so our operations team knows it is ready to go,” Rusco says.

“It takes everyone working together and taking pride in getting the details right.”

Daily cleans generally take between 15 and 20 minutes per bus, but that is only one part of the team’s cleaning programme. Each vehicle also receives a more extensive two-hour clean every fortnight and a three-hour clean each month. Seats are shampooed and deep-cleaned twice a year, as well as whenever additional cleaning is required.

Drivers also contribute by removing rubbish from their buses at the end of their shifts and completing their vehicle pre-checks before entering service. It is a shared effort that helps the depot start each day with the right vehicles ready to operate.

For passengers, the result is a bus that feels clean, comfortable and welcoming from the moment they step onboard. Clean windows, seats and interiors help create a positive first impression, while hygienic passenger areas contribute to a better journey. Clean windscreens also support driver visibility on the road.

While this work often happens out of public view, it has a direct effect on the experience passengers have each day.

For cleaning team member Fatima, pride comes from seeing the difference once the work is complete.

“I feel proud when I look at a bus after I have cleaned it and see that it is clean and smelling fresh,” Fatima says.

“I imagine how a customer would feel if they had to travel on a dirty bus. That motivates me to maintain a high standard.”

Fatima was recently presented with the Above and Beyond Award at the Higgins Road depot’s quarterly Rewards and Recognition ceremony. The award recognises people who exceed expectations and demonstrate an exceptional commitment to Kinetic’s operation, colleagues and passengers.

Rusco describes Fatima as humble, hardworking and dependable. Her friendly nature, positive attitude and willingness to work alongside others have also made her a highly respected member of the team.

Receiving the award showed Fatima that her contribution behind the scenes was valued.

“I was very grateful because I felt that my hard work had been noticed and had not gone unseen,” she says.

Although the award recognises Fatima’s individual contribution, it also highlights the standards upheld by the entire Higgins Road cleaning team. Their teamwork, attention to detail and pride in the fleet help ensure buses are prepared and ready to serve the community every day.

For Fatima, the people she works alongside are an important part of what she enjoys about the role.

“I enjoy my work and spending time with my colleagues. I like working as part of a team when we are cleaning the buses.”

For Fatima, working as part of the cleaning team has provided more than a job. Together with her husband, who was recruited from overseas and works for Kinetic as a bus driver, she is building a new life in New Zealand and looking forward to the day their children can join them.

Passengers may rarely see Kinetic’s cleaning teams at work, but their contribution is reflected in every clean, well-presented bus that leaves the depot ready for service.