BURSWOOD PROPOSED DIVERSION

The existing route can be quite simply modified at low cost to improve the service with no impact on the residents in Burswood who don’t use buses, and that has already been proven as the bus service in the area was recently discontinued. And the majority of Local Board members at Howick plan to stop Auckland Transport from building an unnecessary bus bypass planned for a section of Ti Rakau Drive, which will remove dozens of homes, the owners of which were notified right on Xmas and during stressful covid.The unfortunate owners will be offered a price which if not acceptable, will then have their homes taken from them under the current government act.

The stretch of road already has one side with three lanes which is more than most existing Auckland roads, and the other side can have an extra lane added without amajor problem.

The bypass cost would be hundreds of millions of dollars to save only a few minutes of bus travel. In our opinion AT is making roadworks without sensible consideration for the residents and the ratepayer / taxpayer who will have to pay the bill.

BobWichman, Howick Local Board, Botany