By email
Shed 39, 2 Fryatt Quay
Pipitea, Wellington 6011
24 February 2020
PO Box 11646
Manners Street
Wellington 6142
File Ref: OIAP-7-13841
T 04 384 5708
F 04 385 6960
Dave Moskovitz
www.gw.govt.nz
[FYI request #12112 email]
Dear Mr Moskovitz
Request for information 2020-010
I refer to your request for information dated 29 January 2020, which was received by Greater
Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) via the FYI website on 29 January 2020. You have requested
the following information:
“Metlink's GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) data feed seems to have been down
from 26 January through the morning of 29 January 2020.
I have several questions:
(1) How long was the outage?
(2) Was the outage scheduled?
(3) If it was scheduled, were the public notified anywhere of the expected time and
duration of the outage?
(4) How many scheduled and unscheduled outages have there been over the last year,
and of what duration?
(5) is there an expected level of service for the GTFS service, and if so, what is it?”
GWRC has interpreted the term “outage” to apply to the discontinuity of Static GTFS data (i.e. the
current period’s schedule data was unavailable via the Static GTFS file) contained within the
published Static GTFS files (available at: https://www.metlink.org.nz/assets/Google_Transit/google-
transit.zip),
hosted on the Metlink website at: https://www.metlink.org.nz/customer-
services/general-transit-file-specification/. The application programming interfaces that the Metlink
site uses internally to operate, and therefore the Metlink website and app, were not affected by this
event.
RESPONSE TO OIA 2020-010 DAVE MOSKOVITZ
GWRC’s response follows:
Length of “outage”
The prior GTFS feed before the current one was valid through 25th January 2020 at 11:59pm. The
latest GTFS file was uploaded to the Metlink website at 8:37am on 27th January 2020. The duration
of the “outage” was 32 hours and 37 minutes.
Was the “outage” scheduled?
This “outage” was not scheduled.
As the “outage” was not scheduled there is no response to question 3.
Prior “outages”
The only other similar recorded event in the last year occurred on 23rd July 2019. On that occasion,
the Static GTFS data had expired on the 22nd July at 11:59pm. The updated Static GTFS file was
uploaded to the Metlink website by 1:47pm on the 23rd July 2019. The “outage” duration was 13
hours and 47 minutes. This “outage” was unscheduled.
Expected levels of service for GTFS feed
GWRC have no expected level of service for the informal GTFS data provision via the Metlink
website. Additionally, the Terms of Use (available here: https://www.metlink.org.nz/customer-
services/general-transit-file-specification/) state:
“The information contained within the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) has been
compiled in good faith from sources that are believed to be reliable. However, users of the
GTFS are advised that unless required by law, Greater Wellington Regional Council does
not accept any responsibility or liability for any action taken or omission made as a result of
reliance placed on Greater Wellington Regional Council because of having used the GTFS.
Greater Wellington Regional Council reserve the right to discontinue the publication of the
General Transit File Specification and/or to modify the url of the feed without
notice. Greater Wellington Regional Council will not be liable for any modification,
suspension or discontinuance of the service.”
Please note that GWRC are currently developing an open data portal, making static and real-time
GTFS data formally available via API, for public release by June 2020. This will provide supported
open access to GTFS data.
RESPONSE TO OIA 2020-010 DAVE MOSKOVITZ
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If you have any concerns with the decision(s) referred to in this letter, you have the right to request
an investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 27(3) of the Local Government
Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
Yours sincerely
Greg Pollock
General Manager, Public Transport
RESPONSE TO OIA 2020-010 DAVE MOSKOVITZ
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