Council moves on tour bus issues

Rotorua's CityRide bus drivers have stopped using a bus stop on Amohau St until issues about tour bus parking and safety have been sorted out by the district council.

Rotorua District Council City Services manager Dennis Olliver said CityRide drivers stopped using the bus stop outside the bakery and barber shop on September 13 but it was not closed and would be used again in the future.

Rotorua's bus service is run by Reesby Buses, under contract to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Reesby Buses director David Reesby could not be contacted for comment but it is understood he has instructed his drivers not to use the bus stop for safety reasons.

However, in a letter dated September 25, the council's Economic and Regulatory Services group manager Mark Rawson asked retailers and business owners in the area to comment on a proposal to fix the problem.

The council's proposal is to double the size of the CityRide bus stop with parking wardens monitoring the site to make sure tour buses do not stop there.

The council would then create a bus stop with the capacity for eight tour buses to drop off and pick up travellers only. The bus stop would be located outside a number of Chinese buffet restaurants along Amohau St.

A council bus park would be created near the Sudima Hotel, about five minutes walk from the tour bus stop, where drivers can park up for longer periods.

Opposite the bus stops the free parking zone on the south side of Amohau St would be converted into metered parking spaces.

There would be a section of pay-and-display parks which would cost users $2 a day and a further section of single parking meters costing users $1 an hour, with no time limit.

Mr Rawson said in his letter that concerns had been raised about the number of bus movements on Amohau St, particularly between the hours of 11am and 2pm.

"The problem is caused by the volume of tour bus operators bringing patrons to restaurants in the area, as well as operation of CityRide suburban buses carrying commuters to and from the CBD."

Mr Rawson said he believed the proposal would alleviate most of those problems.

If businesses agreed with the proposed changes the council would make those changes in the coming weeks with the new layout becoming operational by Monday, November 5.