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A bus stop in Silverdale was removed last month, upsetting and inconveniencing those who regularly use it.
Stop 4789 was on Hibiscus Coast Highway, between Whangaparaoa Road and Titan Place.
Silverdale resident Lorraine Sampson, 73, used it regularly for around a decade. She says students heading to North Shore colleges also used it, as well as workers in industrial Silverdale.
The next stop down the highway on this side is the park and ride.
“By removing it, Auckland Transport effectively made public transport more difficult.” Lorraine says. “This flies in the face of its goal of encouraging public transport use.”
It has been noted in Hibiscus Matters before that the stop was unsafe – with no footpath, passengers stepped out virtually straight onto the highway. Lorraine is aware of this and has been campaigning for a footpath to make things safer.
However, Auckland Transport spokesperson Mark Hannan says that was not the safety issue that drove the decision.
He says the stop was closed because of safety concerns raised by bus drivers.
“There is no slowing down or accelerating zone for buses,” he says. The speed is currently 70kph on this part of the road. Until such time as the speed through here is lowered and/or Silverdale Street is signalised, this stop will remain closed.”
Lorraine says the same could be said of other stops on the highway.
“I wonder if we’re going to lose those too?” she says.
