KEY POINTS:
A $300 million transport project due to open today, will change the way Aucklanders think about public transport, say Transit New Zealand.
The country's first two-way public busway has been built along side the northern motorway on Auckland's North Shore and would become fully operational tomorrow.
"The busway is going to revolutionise North Shore travel and change the way Aucklanders think about public transport," said Transit New Zealand acting chairman, Bryan Jackson.
The new busway included a 6.2km two-way route and five stations.
Transit said state of the art technology provided passenger information, audio help, and 24-hour security surveillance.
Passengers would be offered integrated ticketing, cycle lockers, covered walkways and drop-off zones for motorists.
The bus lanes were due to be opened officially by Prime Minister Helen Clark today and the public would have the chance to walk from the new Smales Farm station to the new Akoranga station.
Mr Jackson said Auckland was growing rapidly and just building new roads was not a solution.
"We are following the example of cities like Brisbane, Adelaide, Toronto and Chicago, all of which have highly successful busways."
He said buses would leave every three minutes during the peak hours.
- NZPA
