Pleas to Tauranga City Council over bus stop issues after dad claims daughter harrassed

Murray Cruickshank's daughter was frightened after an encounter at a Tauranga bus stop. Photo / Supplied

A father has shared his anguish after a man made sexualised comments to his teenage daughter at a CBD bus stop.

Murray Cruickshank also showed his compassion when he addressed a Tauranga City Council meeting today about the issue, asking what could be done to help the people who hang around at the Willow St bus stop.

Cruickshank, from Pāpāmoa, said his daughter had generalised anxiety and chronic depression and this was the first year she had been able to use the buses on her own.

"This event has really set her back years."

He said that day she had met her boyfriend in town and was sitting waiting for a bus home about 5pm when the incident happened.

She noticed a group of "older people" smoking and drinking alcohol nearby.

"One lady was huffing solvents out of a bag."

He said his daughter felt uncomfortable and got up to walk over to a group of students where she would feel safer.

"One of the men approached her and asked her if she had any cigarettes or cash. She said no because she doesn't smoke and I don't give her money.

"This guy started making sexualised comments to her. She was scared, she was actually terrified."

He said she jumped on the nearest bus and the driver, to whom he was very grateful, dropped her off around the corner where she was able to make calls and get someone to support her.

When he got to her, she was "on the ground, hyperventilating and crying".

"It's really set her back and it's really upset me. We have spent years getting to where she is now. I am here to ask you guys what we can do to stop this."

Cruickshank said his initial reaction was anger - "I'd rather kill the buggers" - quickly turned to "what can we do to help these guys out".

"We need to organise some sort of support for them. It would be easy to move them on but that will just move the problem somewhere else."

He said people were scared to come to the city. His daughter would no longer take the bus.

Council officer Paul Mason said there was ongoing work with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and police, who were making daily proactive patrols of the bus stop.

He said there were good CCTV cameras and the council was looking at options around security, including conversations about re-contracting the Tauranga Moana Maori Wardens.

He said the issue was not always homeless people and there had been "huge impact" on mental health since Covid.