More than a dozen Dunedin bus shelters are no longer being visited by buses, after major bus route changes, but this is "not a case of money being wasted".
Otago Regional Council support services manager Gerard Collings said some of the redundant shelters remained in place after the biggest changes in city bus routes for more than 20 years were made in September.
The changes aimed to make public bus travel swifter and more attractive for passengers by making the routes more direct and services more frequent.
Mr Collings said the bus shelters on discontinued routes were effectively being stored where they stood, partly to avoid costly double-handling.
"It’s definitely not a case of money being wasted," he said.
It is understood about 17 shelters are no longer being serviced by buses on standard routes. Several of the structures provide shelter close to schools for pupils using school buses.
Mr Collings said a programme was under way to deal with the remaining surplus shelters over the next two months, including finalising the outcome for individual shelters in consultation with the Dunedin City Council.
The new bus shelters would simply be unbolted from their current concrete pads and moved directly to appropriate new locations on current bus routes.
Some older bus stops would not be retained if they were not in good condition, and consultation with the city council included discussing redundant shelters which had painted murals on them, he said. A high proportion of the redundant bus shelters recently photographed by the Otago Daily Times had signs advising the shelters were no longer on active bus routes.
However, a shelter in Forbury Rd and another in Rosebery St, Belleknowes, did not have such advisory signs.
Dunedin bus users group co-president Alex King acknowledged a high proportion of the redundant bus shelters carried advisory signs. However, shelters without signs would be confusing for bus users who could be waiting for buses that would never arrive, he said.
Regional council transport organisers had earlier been busy with the new routes, but some time had elapsed since September.
It would be "good to see" the shelters moved to bus routes and "keeping people sheltered" from adverse weather "sooner rather than later". Mr King said.
Regional council officials said the council had gone to considerable efforts, including through the council’s internet site, to advise the public about the new bus routes and where shelters were.
The council site, www.orc.govt.nz, lists about 50 discontinued bus stops and 13 new temporary stops flowing from the route changes.
Mr Collings said the modern shelters cost less than $7000, while some older-style shelters cost $15,000 to $17,000.
Costs included installation, but some extra works were sometimes required.It is understood the concrete pad many of the shelters sit on costs about $2000.
In some cases, the Dunedin City Council had already shifted some redundant shelters to provide more shelter in parks.
