30 Jun 2011

Council urged to act after woman hit by bus dies

1:21 pm on 30 June 2011

A union representing bus drivers is urging the Wellington City Council to take action on jay-walkers, following a string of incidents in which pedestrians have been hit.

Venessa Green died in Wellington Hospital on Wednesday night.

Police say the 40-year-old was hit after walking across Willis Street about 1.10pm on Tuesday.

Four other people have been seriously injured in the Willis and Manners street area since the council made changes to the inner-city bus route last year. Ms Green is the first person to have been killed.

The Wellington Tramways Union represents drivers from bus company Go Wellington.

Union president Nick Kelly says the council needs to do something about jay-walkers.

"I don't know what happened in this case, but generally, there is a terrible culture in Wellington of jay-walking, of people being on the road when they shouldn't.

"The thing about all five of these accidents is buses weren't on the footpath - the pedestrians were on the road."

A spokesperson for the city council, Richard MacLean, says it will be involved in an investigation along with police and Go Wellington into the latest incident.

Ms Green was involved with the Wellington Scottish Athletics Club, which is to meet with her family to offer its condolences on Thursday.