Terminal situation: $7.7m bus station plan revealed
It’s the fight venue of choice for the city’s youth, now Hamilton’s much-maligned transport centre could be in for a $7.7 million makeover courtesy of the city council.
It’s a rejuvenation that will go ahead only if Waka Kotahi agrees to a 51 per cent co-investment subsidy, as well as the council giving it the green light in its imminent long term plan deliberations.
Just last month the transport centre was the scene of a mass brawl of youths.
The facility has also been the subject of much derision due to dirty toilets and anti-social behaviour by some who frequent it.
If it goes ahead, the upgrade should make Hamilton a much more pleasant place to begin, end, or stop off on a journey. It will include a 24-hour seated waiting area with security monitoring; secure parking for bikes and scooters; improved ticketing facilities, public address system and ‘‘wayfinding signage’’.
Perhaps most importantly, there will be fully accessible, electronically adjustable toilets and handbasins to cater for people with those needs.
In recent times a lack of Waka
Kotahi funding for Hamilton projects has led to much frustration around the council table over the city getting an apparent cold shoulder from the Government agency.
Waka Kotahi has, however, since clarified that the council will have the opportunity to avail itself of fresh funds when the next National Land Transport funding round begins in September.
The city’s politicians have welcomed the revamp.
‘‘This looks fantastic,’’ councillor Ryan Hamilton said during a recent infrastructure operations committee meeting where the upgrade plan was approved.
‘‘I’m excited to see it happening right in the centre of our town. It’s been a bit of an eyesore for some time . . .
‘‘I look forward to it being another successful aesthetic outcome for our city.’’
Cr Rob Pascoe had concerns about the 24-hour waiting area, as well as whether the size of the site could be increased.
‘‘Is it likely to create security issues and so forth if it became an overnight stay place for homeless people?’’
Staff member Martin Parkes, who holds the job title of ‘‘transport and urban mobility programme delivery lead’’, said the InterCity bus service had asked for a proper 24-hour facility to cater for its passengers.
‘‘We will certainly be working closely with the CitySafe team to ensure it doesn’t become [a homeless shelter]. There will be plenty of CCTV cameras in that area for them to keep an eye on things.’’
The expanded centre will cost $120,000 more to run each year, due to the bigger building and other improvements and running costs.
Work on the upgrade should get under way early or mid-2022.
Councillors will, from today, begin the process of deciding what items will be left in and out of the long term plan, as they battle to pare back a projected 8.9 per cent rates increase for the coming year.