Fewer Colombo St bus stops urged

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32663, 20 July 1971, Page 14

Fewer Colombo St bus stops urged

No action was taken by the City Council last evening on a petition by the Clean Air Society for buses to have exclusive use of central Colombo Street; but the council asked the Christchurch Transport Board to consider a reduction of stops between Cathedral Square and Moorhouse Avenue.

The society’s petition supported the Transport Board’s proposal for busonly zones along the kerb of Colombo Street, or preferably, to ban private cars from St Asaph Street to Armagh Street during peak hours.

“While appreciating that some pollution undoubtedly exists because of heavy vehicle concentrations in Colombo Street, the committee considers that if traffic was able to flow more freely in this part of the city then benefits would accrue not only to motorists but to citizens and buses alike,” the traffic committee said. “However, it is felt that it would be unrealistic to deprive motorists of the use of this street, even for certain limited hours of each day, and the committee considers that any alteration to traffic.

i movements could possibly best be achieved by adjustment of the existing bus stops.” If parking was banned in Colombo Street, even at peak hours, studies had shown that apart from having a detrimental effect on businesses it would only tend to attract greater volumes of through traffic, the committee said. This would not be desirable because there would be continued queuing at intersections controlled by traffic signals. If all inward and outward

bus stops on Colombo Street between the Square and Moorhouse Avenue were consolidated in one block between Lichfield-Tuam streets there would be less congestion for motorists between the Square and Cashel Street.

Cr R. M. Macfarlane said the business people in the area should be consulted before any change was made. He also said that the Transport Board “which is very hard to shift,” should be asked to divert some of its services from Colombo Street and Cathedral Square.