The capital's first double-decker commuter bus hits the road at its official launch.

Bus drivers face almost 14-hour work days under Wellington's new public transport network, as the region's main bus operator ships in drivers to fill shortages.

Tranzit takes over the lion's share of the Wellington region's bus routes on Sunday. But the commuter rush on Monday, followed by the resumption of school services the following Monday, will provide its biggest test.

Last week, Tranzit managing director Paul Snelgrove said it was coming down to the wire to see whether or not it would have enough drivers in time.

CAMERON BURNELL/STUFF Wellington's brand new fully-electric double-decker buses were recently launched outside Parliament.

On Saturday, he confirmed the company had filled shortages by pulling drivers in from elsewhere in New Zealand – some had been put up temporarily by the company while other had moved to Wellington.

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"We will get there. We will get the services running. It is tight."

Driver rosters supplied to Stuff by the Tramways Union show one weekday shift starts at 5.38am and does not clock off until 7.19pm that night.

While close to a 14-hour day - almost the maximum of 70 hours per week if working it Monday to Friday – drivers on that weekday shift will only paid for 11 hours and 28 minutes because of breaks.

Snelgrove said that shift would not be done by a single driver all week. For example, that driver may work from 2pm to 11pm the following day.

Most drivers were working 40 to 42-hour weeks and "nobody could be doing 70 hours a week", he said.

Another shift signs on at 5.18am and ends at 4.23pm, but because of an almost four-hour break in the middle the driver is only paid for seven hours and 11 minutes.

While the rosters only show the Upper Hutt, Avalon and Wainuiomata depots, Tramways Union secretary Kevin O'Sullivan expected Wellington's would be "much the same".

PIERS FULLER/STUFF Tranzit Group New Zealand managing director Paul Snelgrove says no Wellington drivers will be working 70 hours a week.

He understood "dozens and dozens" of Tranzit drivers had been brought in from across the country.

He imagined "close to all" of Wellington's Tranzit drivers would initially be working close to 70-hour weeks to cover the shortfall of drivers.

Some split shifts, designed to cover the morning and afternoon peaks, involved a seven-hour break in the middle of the day.

SUPPLIED Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff has previously expressed concern about bus driver contracts at Tranzit.

"That is not a business that cares about family values."

NZ Bus, which lost many of its Wellington contracts to Tranzit, also had split shifts, but the breaks were usually shorter. When they were not, the shift was voluntary and extra pay was given.

Tranzit did not have that deal, O'Sullivan said.

NZ Bus rosters always covered a working week and did not change day-to-day. Tranzit's approach to switching shifts "on a daily basis" would be disruptive for drivers, as well as bad for their health and could cause safety-related fatigue issues, he said.

Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff said fatigue was emerging as one of the most "significant and serious health and safety issues" in all industries.

"Clearly driving buses requires continuous concentration, skill and judgement to avoid serious harm to the public and passengers and drivers on our busy urban streets," he said.

"Setting up rosters with long hours for Wellington's bus drivers is unacceptable and unsafe."