Councillors attack price of bus exchange

Suburban transport improvements worth millions of dollars have been canned to pay for an overpriced bus exchange, two Christchurch City councillors say.

Cr Chrissie Williams said the $112 million underground bus exchange meant the council was reneging on a promise to urgently introduce bus lanes in congested suburbs such as Riccarton.

A $21m funding shortfall for the exchange had pulled money from planned suburban exchanges, she said.

"We [the council] are putting these bus priorities out three years when we said we would do them earlier.

"We are reneging on that promise."

Data on the new Papanui bus lanes showed they reduced travel times and were "critical" to the city's public transport network.

Cr Helen Broughton said council staff were determined to build a "first-class" underground facility and the cost seemed to be irrelevant.

Costs had ballooned from early estimates of about $56m, she said.

City environment general manager Jane Parfitt said bus lanes for Hornby and Riccarton would be built in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 years, respectively. Others were planned for New Brighton via Pages Rd, Sumner via Ferry Rd, Oaklands-City via Halswell and for the Orbiter and Metrostar services. Parfitt said the exchange was a major project – from both a public transport and central-city revitalisation perspective.

Bus lanes for the city's "key entrances" stayed in the council's programme, which would improve services from the suburbs.

"By taking this approach, there are no associated rates increases."

2021chairwoman Megan Woods said the latest decision showed the council was "out of control".

"It is ludicrous they continue to saddle future generations with debt."

Her group yesterday launched a search for candidates to contest the mayoralty and all wards in this year's council elections.

Williams is a director on the council's Red Bus Ltd company.

She was paid $26,613 for that role in the 2009 financial year, and has permission from the auditor-general to comment on public transport issues.

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