Auckland: The public transport failure and overcrowding in Auckland for the opening of the rugby World Cup last week were called "teething problems" and lessons had been learned, the minister responsible for the tournament said Tuesday.
New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key earlier told the country's parliament the problems were regrettable but not the government's fault, laying the blame for the trains overcrowding at the door of the local transport authority.
World Cup minister Murray McCully said he wanted the problems solved "without too much finger pointing" and was taking steps to ensure there would be no repeat when Australia take on Ireland in Auckland on Saturday evening.
"We've had a few teething problems around Auckland that have caused a bit of angst," he said.
Local media reported massive delays on the rail system on Friday, with fans missing the start of the New Zealand-Tonga match while some people abandoned stationary carriages and scrambled up banks on to the road.
Officials estimated that up to 50,000 people tried to use public transport to get to the Eden Park stadium. They had expected no more than half that number to use the public transport system.
Underestimation
There was also major overcrowding around the "Fan Zone" on the seafront quay in New Zealand's biggest city, again caused by an underestimation of the numbers wanting to join in the World Cup party. "This is the third biggest event in the world of sport and this is a city whose infrastructure has been tested a bit by the experience," McCully added.
"We're making plenty of provision for dealing with extra crowd numbers, both from the transport point of view and an entertainment point of view."
McCully said the government had taken direct control of the "Fan Zone" to prevent "unregulated crowds" gathering in the around it.
"I've asked our officials to file some applications for consents under some special legislation to make sure we can manage the numbers," he said.
