Confusion over new bus stop

Kevin England believes there wasn't enough information on changes to Rotorua's bus routes. Photo / Stephen Parker

An oversight by the district council has left confused locals in one Rotorua suburb waiting for a bus at the wrong stop.

However the Bay of Plenty Regional Council says it received just 12 complaints last week after sweeping changes were made to the CityRide bus routes and stops.

Resident Kevin England told the Rotorua Daily Post he had seen a number of people waiting for the bus in the wrong place, after the stop was moved from Spencer St to the corner of Spencer St and Turner Dr.

The old stop on Spencer St remains, with no signs redirecting bus-goers to the new stop, and no signage at the new stop saying it was operational.

"There was not enough information," he said. "It is a lifeline service for a number of people in the area. It has confused people in the Western Heights area. I just think there was a complete lack of consultation [with] ratepayers and tax payers, things are just done and we have to accept it."

The new bus system was launched last Monday, with the regional council re-routing suburban and inner-city routes.

Rotorua Lakes Council was responsible for the bus stops and signage, councillor Karen Hunt said. She said the bus stop was "left off" the list of stops commissioned by the council.

"Unfortunately it was left off. The signage will be fixed by the end of this week - it just slipped through the net."

Mrs Hunt said the route changes were the result of complaints from residents and analysis from the regional council's Bay Bus service, which runs Rotorua's CityRide service.

The council erected six shelters a year, so would not be able to say whether the stop would get a shelter, she added.

Regional council transport policy manager Garry Maloney said they received about 12 complaints last week. "To put that in context, over that same period our service carried about 11,000 passengers so about two in 1000 have complained."

Mr Maloney said the council had notified the public of the changes in a number of ways including radio advertising, bus notices and posters, articles in the Rotorua Daily Post and social media updates.