Busway plans speed up

By JASON COLLIE

Construction will start a year early on the North Shore Busway after an injection of an extra $2 million for design.

Transfund and Infrastructure Auckland have agreed to give the North Shore City Council the cash to speed up planning work on what will be the first of Auckland's major public transport schemes.

City services director Clive Fuhr said the money would allow the council to concentrate on designing some parts of the $130 million busway and start construction next May, rather than in 2002.

However, along with the $600,000 share Infrastructure Auckland is putting in, its board members also sent a message indicating they were concerned at a lack of progress on the dedicated lane for buses running alongside the Northern Motorway.

Gary Taylor said: "We are just funders, but if we want to see it done in a timely focus and on budget we have to start being clear about our expectations as to project management."

The North Shore City Council also expects to start asking for funding at the end of this year.

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