Lack of shelter, seating 'bad look'

Passengers and tour operators are describing the lack of shelter and seating at Dunedin's regional bus stop as a "very bad look" for the city.

The bus stop in Moray Pl, around the corner from the Great King St bus hub, is used by companies Intercity and Atomic.

The lack of shelter and seats means passengers have to stand and wait while blocking the footpath.

Dunedin woman Anne Marie Parsons (77) said she needed to catch a bus to Millers Flat next week, but "just hated the idea" of standing in the cold while waiting.

"It's just horrible. I had an operation on my foot. It's sore and I can't stand around."

Previously, passengers could wait inside for buses, she said.

"This is where people from out of Dunedin catch buses. Tourists, parents of the overseas students, all sorts of people. This is just so pathetic."

Lynda Roe, of Melbourne, who was waiting for a bus to Invercargill yesterday, said the conditions were "not good enough".

"There's no shelter whatsoever. I had to go

and unpack the suitcase and

get a big heavy coat because it started to rain," she said.

"You get a chill just standing here. You can't carry an umbrella with you all the time."

Iconic New Zealand Tours owner Kim Hayward, whose company drops off and picks up people from the regional stop, said the layout had been "really difficult" for passengers.

"If we're dropping off it's really problematic. In the morning it's dark - it's a terrible place to stand."

The company contacted the Otago Regional Council (ORC) requesting shelter for the stop, but was told it had no plans to

do so, Mr Hayward said.

"We're very disappointed because it's a very bad look for Dunedin for tourists coming in."

The ORC appeared to have changed its stance yesterday.

When asked about the issue in May, ORC support services manager Gerard Collings said there were no plans to introduce shelter at the stop.

However, when asked yesterday ORC Dunedin public transport team leader Julian Phillips said the ORC had been working alongside the Dunedin City Council to provide shelter there, "subject to sufficient footpath space and consultation with adjacent property owners".

"We're keen to provide a solution as soon as we can."

It was a "real positive to be able to make connections between regional and local bus services easier", he said.