Labour Party transport spokesperson Phil Twyford is backing calls for smartcards to replace cash on buses following the death of a bus driver at a Lower Hutt depot.
Herman Curry, 64, was found unconscious near his bus at the Waterloo interchange on Friday night and died shortly after. His cash box was missing.
NZ Bus chief executive Zane Fulljames says if there is no cash, the security risk disappears.
The company has launched an internal investigation into its security systems and Mr Fulljames is also pushing for an industry-wide meeting to discuss safety measures on public transport, including the use of smartcards to remove cash in buses entirely.
Mr Twyford says in some cases bus companies are contractually required to be able to take cash from customers, so changes would have to be made at the local and national level.
