30 Jun 2011

Call for barriers to protect pedestrians from buses

7:14 pm on 30 June 2011

Wellington City Council admits changes will have to be made on narrow inner city streets, where five people have been hit by buses since bus routes were changed last year.

Venessa Green, 40, died on Wednesday night after being hit by a bus on Tuesday afternoon on Willis Street. Four other people have suffered serious injuries.

Ms Green, a Massey University student, was jogging when she was hit.

The city council changed the central city bus route, making some streets two-way again at least for buses, last year.

Council transport committee Andy Foster admits it will have to make changes but says it will have to work with police on what those changes are.

Crash investigation and road safety consultant Hamish Piercy says barriers should be an option.

He says there has been some negative reaction to the idea but now is the time for it to be considered.