WELLINGTON bus drivers are “on edge”.
Three people have been injured by GO Wellington buses since the former pedestrian-only Manners Mall re-opened to buses on November 28 and Wellington Tramways Union President Nick Kelly says the majority of bus drivers are “not happy”.
“Bus drivers deal with difficult situations every day but with the media attention and two incidents occurring within one week, bus drivers are quite unhappy,” he says.
So, Capital Times jumped on a bus and asked the bus driver how he was feeling.
After shrugging his shoulders the friendly driver, who wishes not to be named, said he was “taking it easy and hoping that no one jumps out in front of his bus”.
Along Manners Mall, Capital Times witnessed buses travelling at speeds of up to 23km/h, well below 30km/h speed limit.
Road barriers have been erected between trees and signposts and warning signs to look right, as well as both ways, are etched on the sidewalk. ‘Danger. Don’t Cross’ is written in chalk on the path beside two cones where ‘danger’ tape has been wrapped around a Wellington City Council sign located close to the road, impairing pedestrians’ vision of the road.
“What a stupid place to put a sign,” says a passer-by.
But the warning signs do not deter 20-year-old skateboarder Steve O’Donnell as the radio broadcasting student rides freely down the middle of the bus lanes when no traffic is in sight.
“No one wanted the bus lanes in here in the first place,” he says.
Kelly is calling for pedestrian hazard notices to be placed in buses.
“There was an inadequate campaign about jaywalking by the council. There are no barriers between lanes and the light phasing hasn’t worked. We called for road testing but it never took place – only on the day it opened. Some of the difficult bus turns have been remedied and are actually ok but if there were ‘cross at lights’ signs, instead of ‘look left or right’ this would have resolved the issue.
“We have forwarded this proposal to the Wellington City Council”.
Our request to interview bus driver Paul Bayliss, who was voted Capital Times Best Bus Driver for the past two years running, was declined by NZ Bus Wellington Region general manager Mark Williamson.
“We need to provide our services and focus on getting on with business, otherwise we won’t have a service,” Williamson says.