Bus stops on move as Britomart closes

By SCOTT MacLEOD transport reporter

Thousands of Aucklanders will lose their downtown car parks or have to change bus stops when the city's transport hub closes next month.

Britomart, which holds 535 car parks and serves thousands of bus commuters each day, will be closed from June 17 until 2003 for a $261 million rebuild.

Bus commuters will have to use smaller, side-street stops with fewer facilities and the daily battle for the city's meagre ration of parking spots will intensify.

The Auckland City Council yesterday released papers showing the closure will affect 10,000 bus users - half of the total coming into the central business district. Changes will include new routes, stops and terminals.

But the council said many changes would be relatively minor and some commuters would benefit from using new bus stops closer to the central city.

The main changes will be for buses travelling to downtown Auckland via Ellerslie-Panmure Highway, Great South Rd, Tamaki Drive, Remuera Rd and Great North Rd. Hospital, Hibiscus Coast and Helensville buses will also be affected.

The council is preparing a brochure for commuters.

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