Auckland bus driver Mike Moore lost his bid to regain his job after an Employment Relations Authority ruling confirmed his dismissal for serious misconduct, 1news reported.
Moore spent more than 20 years behind the wheel. Ritchies Bus Holdings fired him in February 2025.
The company recorded 16 instances of concerning behaviour between July 2022 and January 2025. These incidents included four separate cases of inappropriate touching involving female passengers.
December Passenger Trap Incident
Moore failed to check his bus after reaching the final stop on his route in December 2024. He locked a 14-year-old girl inside the vehicle while he went to buy food.
The mother of the trapped teenager called the police for assistance. CCTV footage later showed Moore using his mobile phone while driving, passing through a stop sign, and parking illegally.
Moore claimed he needed to use a restroom urgently. The authority noted he bought food instead and bypassed parking options located closer to public facilities.
Inappropriate Passenger Interactions
A female passenger reported that Moore repeatedly tried to touch her across multiple days in December 2024. He grabbed her hand and asked for her home address during the encounters.
CCTV footage verified the physical contact. The video also captured Moore appearing to restrict the passenger from tagging her transport card.
“She was so fearful of Moore she changed her bus route,” 1news reported regarding the impact on the commuter.
Moore offered an apology for the interaction. His representative submitted that “he was possibly offering a closer stop to assist the passenger, so had asked specifically where she lives,” according to the filing.
Earlier Disciplinary Record
Ritchies documented a pattern of safety violations before the final dismissal. Moore kissed a young passenger’s hand and promised to call her during school holidays in September 2022.
He pulled another passenger by the arm a year later while waiving her fare. Moore characterized those actions as friendly behavior.
An elderly couple hit their heads on forward seats after Moore braked roughly in August 2024. He received a final written warning in September 2024 after driving the wrong way down a street against opposing traffic.
Employment Authority Decision
Moore argued that his dismissal fell outside the range of responses available to a fair employer. He asked the authority for reinstatement and financial compensation.
Ritchies maintained that the termination was procedurally and substantively justified. The company said that Moore accumulated new misconduct infractions while his final warning remained active.
“Its decision to dismiss him was within the range of disciplinary sanctions that were available to a fair and reasonable employer in all the circumstances,” Lamer wrote in the determination.
Ritchies pursued costs with a starting sum set at $4,500.
Questions About Mike Moore's Dismissal and Employment
Why was Mike Moore dismissed by Ritchies Bus Holdings?
Ritchies sacked Moore in February 2025 for serious misconduct following 16 documented instances of concerning behavior, including locking a passenger on a bus and inappropriate touching.
How long did Mike Moore work as a bus driver?
Moore worked as a bus driver for more than 20 years, joining Ritchies in July 2020.
What financial penalty did the employer seek?
Ritchies was entitled to seek costs with a starting point set at $4,500 after successfully defending the dismissal claim.