Howick & Eastern Buses
Howick & Eastern Buses is an Auckland-based bus operator, wholly owned by Transdev, providing contracted AT Metro commuter services, dedicated school routes, and charter hire across eastern and southern Auckland, running 178 vehicles on 943 daily trips for 6.36 million passengers per year.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1943
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Howick & Eastern Buses does
Howick & Eastern Buses is a private, Auckland-based bus transport operator that has run scheduled and contracted services in the city's eastern suburbs since 1943 (originally as Eastern Buses). The company operates 178 vehicles, employs approximately 250 drivers, and runs roughly 943 trips per day carrying 6.36 million passengers annually. It has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the multinational public transport operator Transdev since 2019.
The business runs three integrated service lines. The core is the Auckland Transport (AT) Metro commuter service, delivered under contract and fully integrated with Auckland's AT HOP contactless ticketing system and the AT Mobile app journey-planning platform, with network connections through hubs such as Panmure Station and Botany Town Centre. The second is dedicated school bus routes serving named institutions including Saint Kentigern College, Sancta Maria College, Star of the Sea, and Stonefields School. The third is flexible charter services for school trips, corporate events, sports teams, and tour groups. The fleet includes Zero Emission Buses equipped with real-time energy monitoring, diesel units trialling HYDI fuel-saving technology, and the Envizi platform for tracking fuel, electricity, and water consumption.
Revenue is not publicly disclosed and is primarily driven by AT Metro contract payments, supplemented by school and charter income. The operator holds ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment, recertified 2024), ISO 45001 (health and safety), and shares Transdev Australasia's ISO/IEC 27001 information security certification, alongside a Qualmark Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award. Its 2024 emissions performance was 122 g CO2e per passenger-km with a 75% waste recovery target set for 2025, positioning it competitively for low-emission public transport procurement in Auckland.
Howick & Eastern Buses firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Howick & Eastern Buses
- Legal name
- Howick and Eastern Buses
- Website
- https://howbus.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1943
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Howick & Eastern Buses is an Auckland-based bus operator, wholly owned by Transdev, providing contracted AT Metro commuter services, dedicated school routes, and charter hire across eastern and southern Auckland, running 178 vehicles on 943 daily trips for 6.36 million passengers per year.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Howick & Eastern Buses industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Bus Transport Services
- NAICS
- Urban Transit Systems (4851), School and Employee Bus Transportation (4854), Charter Bus Industry (485510)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Suburban/Regional Commuter Bus Operators (TLAFAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Intercity Bus Franchises/Concessionaires (Public Service Contracts) (THAIADAG), School & Student Public Transit Bus Operators (THAIAEAF)
Keywords
Where Howick & Eastern Buses is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Howick & Eastern Buses business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Public transport contract services: Operates under contract for Auckland Transport (AT) as part of the AT Metro network, providing urban bus services that are integrated with Auckland's public transport system
- School bus services: Dedicated school bus routes serving schools including Saint Kentigern College, Saint Kentigern School, Sancta Maria College, Star of the Sea, and Stonefields School
- Charter services: Flexible charter services for school trips, corporate events, sports teams, and private groups across Auckland's eastern suburbs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | AT Metro public transport fares |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Charter bus services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Howick & Eastern Buses product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Howick & Eastern Buses is an Auckland bus operator providing urban commuter services as part of the AT Metro network, dedicated school bus routes for named East Auckland schools, and flexible charter bus hire for corporate events, school trips, sports teams, and private groups. The company runs a fleet of 178 vehicles and 250 drivers from its depot at 380 Ti Rakau Drive, East Tāmaki, serving suburbs including Howick, Pakuranga, Botany, Flat Bush, and surrounding areas.
Product overview
Howick & Eastern Buses operates as a single integrated transport service offering three distinct but complementary service lines: AT Metro Services for public commuter transport, School Bus Services for educational institutions, and Charter Services for private group travel. All services share a common modern fleet of low-emission accessible vehicles and operate under the Transdev brand within Auckland Transport's network, unified by shared infrastructure, professional drivers, and a customer-first approach.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AT Metro Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 6.36 million annual passengers transported
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Howick & Eastern Buses
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Howick & Eastern Buses technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Howick & Eastern Buses partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Auckland Transport (AT Metro)flagshipHowick & Eastern operates under contract for Auckland Transport as part of the wider AT Metro network. Services are fully integrated with Auckland's transport system, allowing customers to travel across buses, trains, and ferries using the AT HOP card and AT Mobile app.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Howick & Eastern Buses competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Auckland Transport: Auckland Transport is the regional council-controlled organisation that contracts and integrates Howick & Eastern's AT Metro services; it is the primary customer and ecosystem coordinator rather than a competitor, but defines the operating economics.
Direct peers
- NZ Bus: NZ Bus is a major Auckland and Wellington urban bus operator (owned by Infratil) that competes for the same AT Metro contracts Howick & Eastern holds, with overlapping urban, school, and charter service lines.
- Tranzit Group: Tranzit operates urban bus, school, and charter services across multiple New Zealand regions under council contracts — directly comparable three-stream bus business with similar public-sector contract exposure.
- Birkenhead Transport: Birkenhead Transport operates scheduled Auckland Transport bus services on the North Shore plus school and charter routes — a near-identical suburban commuter + school + charter model in the same metro under the same AT contracting framework.
- Go Bus: Go Bus is a New Zealand bus operator running scheduled urban services under regional council contracts and dedicated school routes — comparable contract-based urban and school bus model.
- Ritchies Transport: Ritchies is one of New Zealand's largest family-owned bus operators, running scheduled urban services under Auckland Transport contracts as well as school and charter work — directly comparable service mix, contract model, and operating geography to Howick & Eastern.
- Pavlovich Coachlines: Pavlovich is an Auckland-based bus and coach operator focused on school transport and charter services, with overlapping school-route and charter customer use cases in the same metro.
- Mana Coach Services: Mana Coach Services runs scheduled, school, and charter bus services in the greater Wellington region under similar council-contract models, making it a strong same-category peer outside Auckland.
Broad incumbents
- Infratil (NZ Bus parent): Infratil owns NZ Bus and is a major infrastructure investor in NZ public transport; it is a relevant broader incumbent because it controls one of Howick & Eastern's principal competitors for AT contracts.
- Transdev Australasia: Transdev Australasia is the parent group that owns Howick & Eastern and also operates Auckland commuter rail plus other NZ and Australian bus and light-rail networks — broader incumbent operator with overlapping capabilities and shared services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Howick & Eastern Buses social profiles
Digital presenceHowick & Eastern Buses compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Howick & Eastern Buses financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Howick & Eastern Buses leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Howick & Eastern Buses funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Howick & Eastern Buses M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Howick & Eastern Buses
What does Howick & Eastern Buses do?
Howick & Eastern Buses is an Auckland bus operator providing urban commuter services as part of the AT Metro network, dedicated school bus routes for named East Auckland schools, and flexible charter bus hire for corporate events, school trips, sports teams, and private groups. The company runs a fleet of 178 vehicles and 250 drivers from its depot at 380 Ti Rakau Drive, East Tāmaki, serving suburbs including Howick, Pakuranga, Botany, Flat Bush, and surrounding areas.
Is Howick & Eastern Buses a public or private company?
Howick & Eastern Buses is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Howick & Eastern Buses founded?
Howick & Eastern Buses was founded in 1943. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Howick & Eastern Buses based?
Howick & Eastern Buses is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Howick & Eastern Buses make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public transport contract services are the primary driver. The others are school bus services and charter services.
Who are Howick & Eastern Buses's main competitors?
Auckland Transport is listed as an others. Direct peers are NZ Bus, Tranzit Group, Birkenhead Transport, Go Bus, Ritchies Transport, Pavlovich Coachlines and Mana Coach Services. Broad incumbents are Infratil (NZ Bus parent) and Transdev Australasia.
Does Howick & Eastern Buses have an API?
No public API is recorded for Howick & Eastern Buses.
What industry is Howick & Eastern Buses in?
Howick & Eastern Buses's product category is Public Bus Transport Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAGAC, Suburban/Regional Commuter Bus Operators, with a secondary code of THAIADAG, Intercity Bus Franchises/Concessionaires (Public Service Contracts). Its NAICS code is 4851 and its SIC code is 4100.