Bus drivers boycotting stops seen as unsafe
SEVERAL bus stops will be boycotted by bus drivers in Dunedin because of safety concerns and more could be added to the list.
Drivers would not be stopping at King Edward St opposite Heffs Hotel, at 68 Royal Tce or the Normanby terminus from today, the Dunedin Tramways Union said.
Another nine stops would be banned later if changes were not made.
The action follows the Dunedin City Council allowing bus stops with design faults to be reinstated after roadworks, instead of redesigning the stops to remove flaws, the union has said.
Insufficient space had been allowed for buses to enter stops, move close to the kerb and exit, the union argued.
The 13 stops on the list were all put back into service after work was carried out.
The public bus service in Dunedin is overseen by the Otago Regional Council, but the city council maintains roads.
City council transport group manager Jeanine Benson said the council was aware of the tramways union’s concerns and was working with the regional council to deal with them, where possible.
Regional council transport manager Doug Rodgers agreed the two councils were working on the issue and said the city council would implement any changes.
The tramways union raised the issue at a city council annual plan hearing this week.
Union vicepresident Peter Dowden said the council was fixing many flawed stops, but then effectively adding new ones.
‘‘The city council staff probably consider replacing like for like during regular road maintenance to be a completely reasonable and prudent activity,’’ Mr Dowden said in his written submission for the union.
‘‘But our drivers see a road being closed for repairs, then reopened in a newly renovated state but with the same design faults.
‘‘There is an enormous mismatch between the city council's and drivers' expectations.’’