As Tranzit Group approaches its 100-year anniversary, the company reflects on its rich history whilst embracing an innovative future. With a commitment to sustainable transport solutions and community engagement, the senior leadership team highlights a journey of growth.
THE ROAD TO A CENTURY OF SUCCESS
Commemorating a centennial is a remarkable achievement, and for Tranzit Group (Tranzit), the largest family-owned transport and tourism company in New Zealand (NZ), it embodies the company’s phrase ‘the journey keeps getting better’.
“The upcoming 100-year celebration is a proud milestone for our family. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the company’s history and to acknowledge everyone who has contributed to Tranzit’s success and future direction,” introduces Jenna Snelgrove, General Manager – Tranzit Coachlines, InterCity, and Tourism Division.
“As part of the activities, we will celebrate our people and the communities we live and work in, recognise our stakeholders, partners, and customers, and how we have helped our key clients achieve their business objectives,” she continues.
A special exhibition at the Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History in Masterton will showcase Tranzit’s history through memorabilia, photos, and storytelling, opening on 8th November for three months.
The event will feature original oil paintings by Wally Trickett, a former Tranzit mechanic and bus driver, who has painted 100 works of art in tribute to the company that show how it is interwoven into the communities in which it serves throughout NZ.
There will also be a celebration day for team members, as well as a dinner for long-term stakeholders, suppliers, and customers.
Additionally, in 2026, the Snelgrove family and Tranzit’s senior leadership team will embark on a roadshow to connect with their teams at their various depots across NZ, sharing stories and discussing the company’s future.
Currently, the fourth generation of the Snelgrove family is guiding the company forwards, and after significant growth in the last decade, success clearly runs in their genes.
“We can attribute our growth to diversified contracts, which span tourism, and school and public transportation services, including transitioning to electric buses to help NZ reduce emissions,” Jenna exclaims.
Another boost to the business in recent years has been the expansion of the Cross Country Rentals (CCR) division run by James Snelgrove.
Today, it operates four brands: CCR, Maugers Rentals, Rite Price Rentals, and Luxury Airport Shuttles and offers rental cars at or near airports in Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, and soon to be Queenstown.
In addition, CCR holds Ministry of Education Special Education School Transport Assistance (SESTA) contracts throughout NZ. Tranzit also demonstrated innovative responses to adversity, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It secured the transport contract to transfer passengers on the first Wuhan evacuation flights arriving at Auckland Airport and significant contracts with district health boards to transport patients to and from hospitals or into isolation.
Moreover, many of Tranzit’s urban drivers delivered essential public transport services during the NZ lockdowns.
INNOVATING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Tranzit is known for its innovative approach. The company launched NZ’s first electric bus in 2018 and now plans to expand its services whilst transitioning to a fully electric fleet in the coming years.
“In 2017, we were awarded significant public transport contracts in Wellington and Auckland, allowing them to promote alternatives to diesel buses. Electric buses were a new concept in NZ and worldwide,” states Keven Snelgrove, Tranzit’s Director of Transport and Operations.
“Everyone was requesting electric or low-emission vehicles, and Wellington wanted double-decker buses. However, no one in the world was producing electric double-decker (EVDD) buses,” adds Keven.
Together with Managing Director, Paul Snelgrove, Keven explored global options, visiting China and Europe, before ultimately deciding to introduce electric buses in NZ based on their research into the best innovations.
Tranzit soon developed its first electric bus, EV1, in collaboration with the Auckland University of Technology and with funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
In 2018, it launched EV1, closely followed by NZ’s first fleet of 10 EVDD buses into Wellington in partnership with Greater Wellington Regional Council. These were built at Kiwi Bus Builders with the chassis and battery imported from China.
“We introduced a fleet of Euro 6 diesel buses as well as 10 EVDD buses into Wellington. We then expanded this fleet by introducing a further 31 EVDD buses, and installed two super-fast chargers, allowing for quick 12-minute charging,” discusses Keven.
Since then, Tranzit has introduced electric buses into regional NZ. The first was a single deck electric bus into Palmerston North in 2021 in partnership with Horizons Regional Council.
Indeed, the partnership with Horizons Regional Council continued when Tranzit launched Australasia’s first 100 percent fully electric bus fleet in Palmerston North and Ashhurst in the North Island in March 2024. It has also expanded its electric bus operations into Taranaki, Taupo, and Waikato.
Earlier in 2025, the company also expanded its urban operations in Auckland, introducing a fleet of brand-new single deck and EVDD buses, operating under the Tranzurban Auckland brand.
These services on the key WX1, 11T/11W, and 120 bus routes were in addition to the NX2 service it has operated since 2018.
As part of this expansion, Tranzit has invested in building a new depot that will accommodate 110 vehicles and feature three megawatt (MW) of charging capability, meaning Tranzit will own one of NZ’s largest private charging infrastructure networks.
It will also feature a modern depot for drivers and operations teams, a workshop, and parking, ensuring a safe and sustainable workplace.
“Public transport is an incredibly important part of our environment and is part of the future, which is why we have invested so much in it,” prides Paul.
By prioritising upskilling, Tranzit’s internal workshop and project teams are focused on continuous improvement to work on the growing fleet of electric buses as well as charger installation and maintenance.
“By having both teams work closely, we enhance design effectiveness. Our trained in-house maintenance team safely manages electric chargers, whilst our suppliers perform annual checks.
“We develop our charging infrastructure internally and collaborate with select installers for effective implementation,” details James Howard, Senior Projects Manager, who has been a key driver in the company’s electric bus journey.
“Public transport is an incredibly important part of our environment and is part of the future, which is why we have invested so much in it”
Paul Snelgrove, Managing Director, Tranzit Group
CHARGING IN FLEET FIRST
The electric bus fleet project with Horizons Regional Council involved hiring 50 additional drivers and tripling the network size with the addition of 42 electric buses imported from China.
It also required charging infrastructure to be upgraded to 1 MW and updating the Palmerston North depot. Collectively, the partnership will help Horizons Regional Council reduce land transport emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
The installation included 10 chargers with capacities ranging from 80 kilowatt hours (kWh) to 160 kWh and upgrading a transformer to support the fleet whilst maintaining operations.
“The set-up allows for overnight charging of 43 electric buses, including the original vehicle introduced in 2021, as well as 42 new ones, using dual charger technology, enabling charging of two buses or fast charging for one.
“Monitoring via EVisi systems ensures smart charging and cost management, contributing to a zero-emission fleet,” Howard enlightens.
The Palmerston North depot was also upgraded with the addition of an extra workshop space, ensuring a safe and sustainable workplace.
Meanwhile, Tranzit’s new depot build in West Auckland includes a 3 MW transformer with a single switchboard. To address space challenges for charging, especially for its high-kilometre (km) West Auckland services, a ‘fuel station’-style set-up was designed with eight chargers, each with a 240 kWh capacity, enabling each bus to charge in under two hours and minimising downtime.
Since introducing electric buses into NZ, Tranzit has continued to lead the way and has been happy to share its learnings with industry.
“In 2018, we introduced EVDD buses – the first in NZ – with small battery packs into Wellington as part of our urban contract with the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
These packs allowed for a range of 120 km on a full charge. To extend this, we installed two pantograph chargers at key locations, enabling a full charge in 12 minutes whilst in transit.
“The charging system, delivered through an on-bus ‘riser,’ was redesigned to be mounted on the rear of the vehicle due to height constraints. This successful set-up has been vital to our electric bus operations,” explains Howard.
A COMMITMENT TO DRIVERS AND SUPPLIERS
For Tranzit, the safety and professionalism of its drivers are paramount. As such, each driver must complete a comprehensive induction programme that includes both classroom and practical training, closely supervised to ensure an understanding of responsibilities and safe practices.
“No one can operate company vehicles until all training is completed and documented. Our accredited instructors facilitate ongoing driver training as part of our internal system, ensuring drivers are only assigned to vehicles they are qualified to operate,” Jenna assures.
“Furthermore, our training covers essential topics such as health and safety protocols, company procedures, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), emergency evacuation, situational awareness, passenger safety, hazard identification, and customer service techniques.”
Depending on driving responsibilities and experience, initial training lasts three to 20 days, with ongoing refresher courses throughout the year.
“We continuously update our training to reflect industry best practices, reinforcing our commitment to safety, efficiency, and service excellence,” she confirms.
A source of pride, Tranzit Coachlines – a subsidiary of the wider group with a focus on providing group transport in multiple sectors – is a leader in school bus safety, with over 20 years of targeted campaigns that promote positive behaviours amongst students and ensure community safety.
Recently, the company was recognised for its overall safety efforts, being shortlisted for the 2025 Australasian Fleet Champions Awards in the Road Safety in the Community category. Additionally, Tranzit Coachlines was listed as a finalist for the NZ Workplace Health and Safety Award in Leadership.
Each regional manager is also allocated a sponsorship budget to support education, sports, and community connections.
As a fourth-generation family business, Tranzit also nurtures its supply chain relationships from a long-term perspective.
“Some of our suppliers have been with us for over 80 years – one for 100 years – and are essential to our operations, providing everything from diesel for our fleet to tyres and windscreens. Given our 24/7 nationwide service, it’s crucial that we can quickly address issues, such as a puncture on Christmas Day. We prioritise reliable suppliers over low prices,” Howard acknowledges.
Tranzit balances nationwide diesel and spare parts suppliers with local cleaning equipment providers.
“With more suppliers from China, we’ve adapted our approach, recognising NZ’s relative isolation; we need to ensure they’re committed to us, even during times of low volume.
“We’re invested in long-term partnerships and have spent time visiting and vetting suppliers to cultivate relationships,” he highlights.
“We continuously update our training to reflect industry best practices, reinforcing our commitment to safety, efficiency, and service excellence”
Jenna Snelgrove, General Manager – Tranzit Coachlines, InterCity, and Tourism Division, Tranzit Group
DRIVING TOWARDS A SHARED VISION
The opening of Tranzit’s new depot in Auckland, which will accommodate its growing driver team and new electric bus fleet, is a key priority for the company, enabling it to continue delivering services for Auckland Transport.
This is in addition to a new contract in regional NZ – it was recently announced that Tranzit was awarded a tender to introduce electric buses to Feilding in the North Island.
“Being awarded a tender will ensure our partnership with Horizons Regional Council will continue, alongside our transition to electric buses outside the main centres,” Jenna notes emphatically.
Indeed, Tranzit’s roadmap for the future is anchored in six foundational pillars: operational excellence, innovation, people, sustainability, stakeholders, partnerships, and growth.
“Our mission is partnering with our people and communities as the leading and trusted provider of quality, safe, innovative, and sustainable transport solutions. Our vision is ‘your journey; our team’, all of whom will play a key role in keeping this strategy alive as we move forwards and ensure the company’s family values are kept alive,” she concludes passionately.
